Arne Slot believes that the fearlessness of Rio Ngumoha enabled him to be the second-year-old player who scored a Premier League winner, because Liverpool claimed an exciting 3-2 victory over Newcastle United.
Liverpool seemed to have thrown two points away on Tyneside when they were back from 2-0 to 2-2, despite the fact that Newcastle Anthony Gordon was sent late in the first half.
Gordon's red card came between strikes by Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike, but Newcastle hit back through Bruno Guimaraes and William Osula.
Ngumoha, however, hit the decisive goal 10 minutes in the stopping time to silence a floating St James' Park-Mergigte and beat Nick Pope with a confident first finish.
Now that Ngumoha is four days away from his 17th birthday, only Wayne Rooney has yielded the winning goal in a younger era in a Premier League match.
One day, Rooney was younger than Ngumoha when he scored Famous Everton's winner against Arsenal in October 2002.
In general, only two other players at a younger age scored in the competition – James Vaughan (16 years, 270 days) and James Milner (16 years, 356 days).
After full-time with Sky Sports, Slot said: “It was a great goal for a 16-year-old. Rio can end so well for his age.
“I heard someone say afterwards in the dressing room that he would have made a first touch, but he is so confident! For his age he is a really good finisher.”
Monday's match represented the first time that Liverpool had admitted two goals, while their opponents since December 2001, versus Arsenal, were up to 10 men in a Premier League match.
Finally felt that Newcastle's ultra-directive approach helped them to reduce their numerical disadvantage and say: “I am not sure if I saw a football match today.
“It was set piece after set piece, long throws … It didn't have much to do with tactics, or what I said for the game, but I enjoyed how we were strong.
“Going to 10 men, you would expect it to be a big plus for us, but when a keeper takes every free kick, there is not so much help if you are one player. That's why it was so difficult for us to bring the 2-0 over the line.
“From a set piece, a long throw-in, a long ball from the keeper, you don't need an extra man. It is always nice to have an extra player at hand, but it is simply not so useful as if they want to bring the ball out from behind and we can press them.
“But I think every fan everywhere around the world enjoyed watching this football game, also because their fans were great in terms of the help they gave the home team.”
The game was played in a fiery atmosphere, because Liverpool is still connected to a record-breaking movement for Newcastle's Wantaway striker Alexander Isak.
And the presence of Ekitike, who rejected Newcastle when he joined the Reds of Eintracht Frankfurt, added herb while the home fans were holding on to the touch.
Asked if Liverpool would make an offer for Isak before the transfer window closes next Monday, Slot said: “I think the story should be about Hugo Ekitike who scored another goal for us and it would not be fair to talk about something else.
“He has now been three games with us, scored three goals and influenced the games he played. This is not the place to talk about something else, but I can understand that you ask.”