'I look at him and I think, Christ' - Ex-scout is stunned by how good Liverpool player is
Liverpool starlet Rio Ngumoha shares some glaring similarities with a young Raheem Sterling.
That is the opinion of experienced former Everton, Tottenham and Aston Villa scout, Bryan King, speaking exclusively to Football Insider.
The 18-year-old has been hugely impressive in recent weeks for the Reds, and starred against Villarreal in the Champions League on Tuesday with two assists.
Ngumoha is set to sign a new contract at Liverpool in the coming days, putting an end to fears that he may be set to leave Anfield for the likes of Bayern Munich or Arsenal.
Sterling, currently without a club and facing potential prison time for dangerous driving, made his breakthrough at Liverpool in the 2012-13 season at the age of 17.
The winger would go on to join Manchester City for £49million in 2015, where he scored 131 goals across all competitions and won the Premier League four times.
Rio Ngumoha has 'great potential'
Should Ngumoha have a similar career to Sterling, then he will have been very successful indeed.
The 31-year-old has suffered a dramatic fall-off in recent years, but he remains among Man City's most prolific players ever and one of the best Premier League wingers of all time.
Thankfully, Liverpool appear to have avoided losing their new teenage sensation as they did with Sterling in 2015.
"He's got a good future at Liverpool. I mean, he's 18. He's got great potential and a big career in front of him," King told Football Insider when asked about Ngumoha.
"He reminds me a little bit of Sterling. He runs at defenders. He's got pace. He's good with the ball.
"I look at him and I think, 'Christ, that's a bit like Sterling when he first came onto the scene when he was at QPR.' Look at Sterling, he went to Liverpool, Man City. He went to Chelsea, and then ended up getting done on the motorway."
Liverpool looking to avoid Raheem Sterling mistake
In April, Ngumoha broke Sterling's record and became the youngest Liverpool player to score a Premier League goal at Anfield.
Two years after he had set the record, Sterling had already made 129 senior appearances at the age of 20 and was leaving for Man City.
At the age of 25, the winger had already made 375 appearances. Overplaying, media attention and injuries have ultimately resulted in a burn-out that has marred what should have been the prime years of his career.
Liverpool will try to avoid making the same mistake with Ngumoha, with the teenager being bedded in slowly and carefully.