John Terry 'gutted' after Rio Ngumoha leaves Chelsea and becomes Liverpool's youngest scorer

Updated: 24 Nov, 2025 • 0 • min read

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John Terry 'gutted' after Rio Ngumoha leaves Chelsea and becomes Liverpool's youngest scorer

Photo: Getty Images

John Terry has revealed his disappointment at losing Rio Ngumoha from Chelsea's academy, after the 16-year-old became Liverpool's youngest-ever goalscorer with a last-gasp winner against Newcastle United on Monday night.

Ngumoha, aged just 16 years and 361 days, struck a 100th-minute goal at St James' Park to seal victory for Arne Slot's side, announcing himself on the Premier League stage in style.

Born in Newham, Ngumoha joined Chelsea's academy at the age of eight, having also been on the radar of Arsenal and West Ham United.

But in 2024, the teenager stunned the Blues by swapping Stamford Bridge for Anfield in a move that left Chelsea chiefs furious, with reports that the club subsequently banned Liverpool scouts from Cobham.

'I'm Gutted We Missed Out'

Terry, who coached Ngumoha at U-14 level, admitted he was heartbroken to see the forward leave.

Speaking to The Sun, the former Chelsea captain said:

We had a really good under-14 team and he was a big part of that.

There's going to be many more over the years that as an academy you lose, but there's always one that you think, "I'm a bit gutted we missed out on that one."

The 44-year-old compared Ngumoha’s flair to that of former Chelsea greats Eden Hazard and Joe Cole, suggesting he could become the kind of player who excites fans in a way modern football sometimes lacks.

You don't see too many players that are exciting like him anymore.

He was a very confident player, taking the ball on the back foot, lots of personality, very confident in himself.

Since the likes of Hazard and Joe Cole and those types of players that are very confident and get the fans off their seat as well, I think football's become a little bit stale and a little bit kind of tactical over the last four or five years.

Chelsea's Academy Loss, Liverpool's Gain

Ngumoha had already made his senior debut in January in the FA Cup against Accrington Stanley, but his stunning strike at Newcastle has propelled him firmly into the spotlight.

And Liverpool fans will be hoping Ngumoha can build on his dramatic breakthrough with more minutes in the first team - starting with Sunday's blockbuster clash against Arsenal at Anfield.

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