In recent weeks, Daily Mail Sport has asked various questions about Rio Ngumoha to people 'in the knowledge' around Liverpool and the answer has always been 'no'. Not in a rough way.
We asked when strong rumors in France circulated that Paris Saint-Germain Gem Bradley Barcola was an option that apparently wanted to pursue Liverpool. And we asked when the Brazilian in Samba style of Real Madrid, Rodrygo, was repeatedly disputed as a target. But we were told: no.
Paraphrasing, the verdict in the building was this: 'We appreciate those players of course – but we have Rio. We don't want to block Rio's path. The manager trusts Rio to make an impact. '
When we asked people close to the 16-year-old himself for some insight into what makes him so special, the answer was similar. We were told in a very polite way to leave: this boy has not achieved anything yet.
He has now. Even if he never scores another goal for Liverpool, he will always have this moment to cherish: the youngest target scorer of the club ever in the Premier League ever becomes and, not just that, winning a gigantic three points in the embryonic phases of this title race.
The wider audience was probably surprised when he came up in the 96th minute. Why on earth would you throw a 16-year-old on his league debut in the kettle of St James' Park if a draw would probably have been a respectable result before the kick-off?
More viewers would have asked that and wonder who this soft-face child is and he is a child-who is about to go into the fight. Everyone now knows their name. And this is just the beginning.
But nobody in Liverpool, or those who have regularly followed the club in the last 12 months, is surprised especially during the tour tours. No jot.
For those of us who are lucky to witness the progress of Ngumoha in the past year, this was always destined to happen. Ok, perhaps not in such a dramatic or memorable way, but the teenager always had designs to make a serious impact in the first team this season after a year of bedding in with the under 21s after his much -discussed relocation from Chelsea.
During training with the first team last year, coaches and players were blown away. Rumors were that the media employees had to remove images from Ngumoha 'waste' experienced defenders. Where or not, we will never know, but it would be no surprise at all.
He has the innocence of the youth with the ball at his feet, who always wants to run to his husband and let something happen. Looking at him last year for the Academy, it was concern that he was just a dribbler and did not miss a end product … but in the end he also started demonstrating that side.
His goal on the pre-season tour through Asia, against Yokohama F Marinos, was taken brilliant. Again, the thumping finish may have surprised casual fans – but not those who have looked at him for the academy, this was a trademark run.
Coaching staff is supposed to be surprised by his finish style and an eye for a pass at his age. Most players who are so young are raw precious stones, unpolished diamonds who need these areas in it. Not ngumoha, either naturally gifted or through hard work, he checks every box.
Given that, the following sentence may seem somewhat an understatement. “If Rio was in Brazil, he would have already made his first team debut and funny enough, Chelsea may have bought him for £ 50 million,” the valued secret scout told us this time last year.
At the time, we were a piece of writing the next big thing of the Liverpool and Secret Scout academy, which has more than 20 years of coaching experience and Ngumoha looked at the age of 12, added: “He was just a fantastic dribble and incredible one-one-one.
“It was so hard to get the ball away from him, even if two players tried. He has a close family and in terms of attitude and mentality there is no opportunity for him to wander or to think that he is greater than what he is.
'They buy a lot with the idea that he can become part of the first team and fulfill a certain position. Sometimes when players turn into adult football, they cannot replicate what they did in youth teams, but his decision-making has improved.
“He knows that he can't just run through the entire team anymore, knows when to pass and when he has to drip. He is one of the best I have seen in my coaching trip. '
Liverpool paid an amount of six figures for Ngumoha in compensation to Chelsea who were so furious that they took the unusual step to ban Reds scouts from youth competitions at their Cobham headquarters.
But hand on heart, no Stamford Bridge employee can say that Ngumoha would have had the opportunities he has had so far in the northwest. The teenager, next to his family, moved to MerseSide in search of a better path.
The people around him, such as Brother James and Close Ally Fergal, are private people, but all driven with one common goal. Scoring a competition winner in a Premier League match is just one step on the way to achieve that but Ngumoha is already climbing on the ladder.
So that underlines why Liverpool has the answer when it comes to asking for potential Luis Diaz replacements or alternative attacking reinforcements.
Why would they spend £ 100 million, perhaps even more, on a Rodrygo or Barcola, when they leave this gem on the couch ready to influence games like this?
Going in the game and even during it, was all talking from a Liverpool perspective around Alexander Isak and what their attacking depth looks like light. Ngumoha is a prodigy, but he is not yet ready, was the common judgment of fans.
That should now be changed. He is not only the biggest prospect in the academy and one for the future, his time to shine is now.