Interview with Rio Ngumoha after the Liverpool teenager helped Andoni Iraola's men to a 2-1 win at Brentford on Saturday

Rio Ngumoha insists he is not concerned about his Liverpool future as talks continue with his representatives over a new contract at Anfield.

Ngumoha signed his first professional deal in September 2025, just weeks after his 17th birthday, to keep him at the club until 2028, but he was always expected to pen more lucrative terms that were in line with his rise to the first-team ranks when he turned 18 in late August.

Between September 2025 and his 18th birthday on August 29, however, the winger went from being an inexperienced rookie to a full England international, making his debut in a friendly against New Zealand shortly before the World Cup in June after 29 senior appearances in a breakout season with the Reds.

Bayern Munich were tentatively linked with Ngumoha during the summer transfer window and further recognition at international level has only seen his profile rise further.

Last month, the teenager became the third youngest competitive debutant in Three Lions' history, behind only Jude Bellingham and Wayne Rooney, and while many thought a new contract would be a formality following his 18th birthday, the terms are yet to be extended nearly two months later.

However, speaking after Saturday's 2-1 win over Brentford, Ngumoha said the issue is in the hands of his agent as he played down the matter at the Gtech Community Stadium.

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"To be fair, that is all with my agent now," Ngumoha said. "I think it is all going well. I am not too sure. I just let the football do the talking at the end of the day.

"So I enjoy playing and all of that stuff about contracts is in the back of my mind really. I just play for the club, play for Liverpool and hopefully I can carry on doing well.

"My season is going well. As you say, I'm playing off the left and the right; I'm improving, working hard and it's been good. Do I have a favourite position? No, not anymore to be fair. I think I am getting to grips with the right wing now and I am liking it, it has given me another asset [to me game], so that is good.

"I think, you know, because I am still young, the club are just trying to look after me but we also have some of the best attackers in the world, so competing for places is not easy.

"So it is all about healthy competition and we all just want to make the team win at the end of the day. Whatever minutes we get, we can't be sulking, we just have to go out and show what we can do."

Ngumoha made his name as one of the most exciting youngsters in the country by operating off the left wing but Liverpool's decision to sign Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain for £123m has increased competition considerably for the attacker, who impressed as a second-half substitute against Brentford.

In an effort to make Ngumoha more tactically flexible, Andoni Iraola has often fielded the teen on the right side during his time as head coach - an experiment that began in a 1-0 friendly win over Wrexham at New York's Yankee Stadium in July, when he scored the only goal.

Ngumoha added: "Yeah, I definitely had to [adapt after Barcola signed]. The good thing about all of us is we can all play on both the left and the right side.

"So I think, like I say, it is always healthy competition at this club at the end of the day, so I think if we're all playing well then no-one can be disappointed at the end of the day. It is all about the team with us, so that is good.

"I think there's definitely room to improve and I have been working hard on the training pitch. I went away with England and I was playing on the right side.

"So I learned a lot there as well and I have enjoyed it to be fair. I am enjoying this challenge and to be able to play off both sides is important. So it is good.

"I think [playing on the right] gives me a bit unpredictability, so if teams see me playing, they might think I am on the left but I can offer something different on the right.

"So it is good, I think at a young age, being able to play off the right or the opposite side and be unpredictable, I think that is something that is really key and I am enjoying it. It is good.

"Playing on the right was good for England but also watching the likes of Anthony Gordon, Bukayo Saka - they are top, top wingers.

"Training with them every day and just seeing what they do, that can really help me and I take some of the stuff they tell me on board and it is really helpful."

Iraola spoke on Thursday about Liverpool's efforts to refine Ngumoha's game to ensure he fulfils his undoubted potential and the versatile forward says he is hugely thankful for the opportunities being afforded to him by the head coach.

"I think obviously he just wants me to take on the player in the one-v-one duels," Ngumoha said. "He wants me to be a threatening player. But off the ball, he just wants me to help the team however I can.

"So whether it is about me pressing or working the full-backs, whatever it is, I am just taking on what he is saying and looking to improve. I am enjoying working with him and enjoying improving.

"I can't thank the gaffer much more really for putting me on so early in the game and like I said, whether I start or if I come on, I just have the same mentality."

Goals from Victor Munoz and Alexander Isak turned it around for the Reds against Brentford after Yehor Yarmoliuk was sent off for headbutting Jeremy Jacquet following Keane Lewis-Potter's opener.

Ngumoha played an important part in helping break down the 10 men and he was fouled by Vitaly Janelt for a second bookable offence in stoppage time as the Bees finished with nine men.

"I think I already knew what I needed to do when I came on and that was to impact the game on both sides of the pitch and thankfully I did that," said Ngumoha.

"I think it's no surprise that we are winning games because we have been training hard and working well, so it is no surprise. We are just hungrier than ever really, so it has been top.

"We know when you come to Brentford away, it is never going to be an easy game but I just think that we found that hunger within the squad and second half we turned it around. Obviously the red card helped us a lot as well.

"The mentality is stronger than ever, better than ever. So we took one step back (against Manchester City) and two steps forward, so I think now we have just got to focus on the Champions League game (against Villarreal on Tuesday).

"For me, I feel like I have always been tough mentality because results can't always go your way. Or the team might not be playing well but you can get that one chance. Like Alex today, he doesn't always have to be involved because when he gets that one chance he can sniff, he can score .

"That's elite strikers for you. You look at elite strikers, some of the best around, they don't have to be involved throughout the whole game because they can just smell chances and Alex is top, so it was no surprise."