Arne Slot has to make tough Rio Ngumoha choice to preserve his future at Liverpool

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Rio Ngumoha is a special talent, but he has not been used that often in Liverpool games this season.

The 17-year-old has been touted as a world-class prospect, and when the Reds swooped him out of the Chelsea academy ranks, many were talking about the signing as one that would be perfect for the future.

Already, Ngumoha has been tied down to a professional contract with Liverpool after his birthday in August, meaning he is currently set to be at the club for the next three years.

His cameo appearances for Arne Slot’s side have been few and far between, with the one where he made the most impact being when he scored the winner against Newcastle United near the beginning of the season.

The other times he has emerged from the bench have not been as fruitful for the young winger, with no goal contributions in any of the other games he has made an appearance in.

Arne Slot needs to let Rio Ngumoha play more under-21 football

It was a surprise to see him brought on over the weekend against Brentford in the 3-2 loss instead of against Eintracht Frankfurt when the team were in a much more comfortable position.

Placing Ngumoha in new and difficult situations is a good thing in many respects; however, it does beg the question of why, in such a tough and physical game, would you choose a winger who has not played enough this season.

READ MORE: After Rio Ngumoha, Liverpool have another star coming through who’s even younger

What his recent cameo proved, though, is that Slot should allow the player to stick with Rob Page’s group for more games this season instead of just sitting on the bench for the Reds senior team.

The player is still so young, and for his development, regular football is required. No matter how talented someone is, it does not make up for putting the work in on the pitch.

By presenting Ngumoha with the option of more regular playing time, it means that when he should be called upon in games where Slot believes he can make the most difference, he can still be brought back in.

It is an amazing experience for Ngumoha to be training with the stars and having irregular first-team substitute appearances at his age, but the longer this goes on without regular game time, the more likely his talent could go to waste.

Rio Ngumoha needs a start in the League Cup

While it is very unlikely the Dutch manager will do that because he clearly has different plans for him, what he can do at the very least is give him a start on Wednesday.

The League Cup is always a perfect testing ground to experiment with the squad and use the youngsters at your disposal, and a game like the one against Crystal Palace should be his time to shine.

Palace poses a big threat physically, no matter who is in the Liverpool team, so giving Rio that start will at least show whether he has the strength to compete at the Premier League level.