Former England defender Joleon Lescott has tipped Rio Ngumoha to earn his international debut and become a future star for the national team, although he warned that Max Dowman could beat him to that milestone.
Both teenage prospects have enjoyed breakthrough seasons at their respective Premier League clubs this campaign.
Dowman, just 16, has attracted widespread praise and was recently named Man of the Match in Arsenal’s FA Cup victory over Mansfield.
Rio Ngumoha, 17, produced an impressive performance of his own in Liverpool’s 3-1 FA Cup win at Wolves.
Lescott told All Out Football that the Reds youngster is firmly in the conversation to make an impact for England.
“Yeah, I watched him, I did the game on the weekend [at Molineux], and I agree,” said ex-Everton talisman Lescott. “The end product probably doesn’t look as clean as Max, but the decisions, what he [Ngumoha] was trying to do was more consistent.
“So I think that, again, we spoke about the importance of decision-making to outcomes and people just see a cross or a shot. I’m like, ‘That’s unlucky’. I’m like, ‘Should he have shot, though, or should he have dribbled or should he have passed? Was it the right decision to make rather than the right outcome that come of it?’
“Going back to Max, he’s definitely going to play for England. And we were speaking about, he has got a chance, he’s got a chance of being a world-class talent, 100 per cent. But I don’t know who he’s ahead of to not go [to the World Cup].”
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