Hosting West Ham a 'good time' for Ngumoha to start

Rio Ngumoha has been jumping every hurdle put in front of him and is ready for Liverpool's starting line-up, says journalist and The Late Challenge podcast's Mo Stewart.

Liverpool host 18th-placed West Ham United on Saturday and Stewart believes there is no better time to call the youngster up.

"I'm very tempted," Stewart told BBC Radio Merseyside.

"If you looked at the whole season and was thinking 'I'm going to give this kid a start in a game', you'd expect it to be at home to a team in the bottom five. That's what's happening in this game and I think it might be the last time this season.

"On top of that, off the back of him making a real impact in the game against Nottingham Forest and helping to contribute to the win, it feels like a good time.

"I understand though why Arne Slot is so cautious with him. I do think that when you're a player of that talent and age - because he is still really young, he's 17 but a young 17, more 16 - you have to be careful with how he deals with the physical and the mental side of football.

"But with that being said, I am also of the opinion that every time they give him a little bit and how he's dealt with it, every time they have put a hurdle in front of him, he seems to jump it."

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