Gerrard says Tottenham have their own Rio Ngumoha who ‘crosses like Declan Rice’
Steven Gerrard reckons Tottenham might just have their very own Rio Ngumoha as he lavished a Spurs star who “crosses like Declan Rice” with praise.
The Spurs resurgence continued with a comfortable 2-0 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday, with three victories on the bounce lifting them to ninth in the Premier League.
The mood among the fans is as good as it’s been for a long time and they were handed a further boost thanks to a hugely promising cameo from academy product Luca Williams-Barnett.
“I loved one moment from the game,” Gerrard said on The Overlap Daily. “Williams-Barnett, a name I’ve heard mentioned to me through the England ranks a few times.
“But he came on for a little cameo, and if I’m a Tottenham fan, I’m going away buzzing with the result, and Spurs are obviously in this new place, but this young kid is going to be a player.
“I’ve seen enough in the 10-minute cameo. He came on around the 80th minute; he went on this little jinky run down the left and put a ball across like Declan Rice.
“I just thought, ‘They’ve got their own little Rio Ngumoha’. So look out for this boy, I really like him.”
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Jamie Redknapp also raved about the 18-year-old after he came on for Mathys Tel in the 88th minute, insisting: “This is a player, mark my words; this is a player. He is sensational.”
After showing stunning balance as he weaved through a couple of defenders he put the ball on a plate for Mohammed Kudus, who failed to make the most of the opportunity.
Manager Roberto De Zerbi confirmed “he is a very, very great talent” before Williams-Barnett reflected on his debut.
He said: “It’s a dream come true, really. As I’ve got on the ball, I wasn’t really scared. I just wanted to get the ball and show what I can do, and really just enjoy it.
“I was on the sideline, and I was thinking, ‘How could I get this crowd going even more?’ I just feel like this is surreal.”
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