Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has praised Mohamed Salah for his influence on teenage forward Rio Ngumoha, who played a key role in the Reds’ dramatic 4-3 Champions League victory over Villarreal at Anfield on Tuesday night.
Ngumoha helped Liverpool recover from a two-goal deficit by providing two assists in the seven-goal encounter, underlining the progress he has made while learning from the club’s established stars.
Van Dijk said several senior players had contributed to the England youth international’s development but singled out Salah’s guidance as particularly important.
“Everyone is chipping in but for him to work with Mo last year was obviously massive as Mo was one of the best wingers at the club and experienced everything so why not soak in all the information and show it on the pitch and show your own qualities?” the Dutch defender said, according to ESPN.
The 18-year-old’s performance against Villarreal also highlighted his ability to trouble defenders with his dribbling and attacking movement.
Ngumoha became the youngest player on record since the 2008-09 season to complete at least five dribbles, register at least 10 touches in the opposition box and provide multiple assists in a single Champions League match.
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He recorded seven dribbles, 12 touches in the opposition box and two assists.
Van Dijk believes the teenager has more to offer after his impressive display.
“I think he has shown it this season but there is still much more to come.
“He’s pretty electric at times and he showed it again. He was a complete threat constantly and their defender had a tough time,” he added.
While Ngumoha earned praise for his contribution, Van Dijk admitted he struggled during the early stages of the match.
An error by the Liverpool captain gave Georges Mikautadze an opportunity to put Villarreal ahead, before further defensive problems allowed Sergi Cardona to double the visitors’ advantage.
Liverpool fought back through goals from Alexis Mac Allister, Ronald Araujo and Florian Wirtz to complete the turnaround.
Reflecting on his performance, Van Dijk acknowledged that his early mistakes had made the contest more difficult for his side.
“It was a terrible start,” the Netherlands international said.
“I think the saying is you fight an uphill battle and as a defender it is pretty difficult to come back from it.
“I tried but it was a bad day at the office personally but we did it together with 11 players. We turned it around and that’s the main thing.”
The Liverpool captain admitted that the performance was below his own standards but stressed that the team’s victory mattered more than his individual display.
“Unfortunately in life these things can sometimes happen. Fortunately it didn’t happen too many times in my Liverpool career but tonight I was not the best.
“But we won and it’s not about me, it’s all about us. We got the three points,” Van Dijk concluded.
Liverpool have struggled in the early stages of their Premier League campaign, sitting fifth after seven matchdays and nine points behind leaders Manchester City.
However, the Reds have maintained an impressive start in Europe, winning their opening three Champions League fixtures.
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