Pickford hails 17-year-old Ngumoha as England's fifth-youngest debutant shines against New Zealand

Rio Ngumoha marked his England debut with a composed performance as Thomas Tuchel’s side edged New Zealand 1-0 in a friendly in Tampa on Saturday. The 17-year-old Liverpool winger, who became the national team’s fifth-youngest debutant, was drawn from the training squad after Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke were rested following Arsenal’s Champions League final involvement.

Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was quick to praise the teenager after the final whistle. “He was quality, nothing fazed him,” Pickford said. “He’s had a really good season at Liverpool and the manager gave him his debut and he showed how good he is.”

Pickford also credited the broader group of young players who have integrated into the squad during the World Cup camp. “All the young lads have been brilliant in training, they have moulded into the squad and helped us massively and it also shows the talent we have in the system. It is a credit to the academies and the pathway we have in English football.”

Ngumoha’s debut opens the door for further uncapped players to feature in Wednesday’s friendly against Costa Rica. Josh King and Ethan Nwaneri, both 19, as well as 22-year-old Alex Scott — all training group members — will be hoping to follow his lead. That fixture represents Tuchel’s final opportunity to fine-tune his squad before England’s Group L opener against Croatia on June 17.

Pickford, who will start that opener as number one at a fifth consecutive major tournament, reflected on what the milestone means to him. “I take a lot of pride in it,” he said. “There have been a lot of keepers challenging along the way and I credit myself for improving week-in week-out at Everton. I always give myself targets to improve and there is nothing better than putting the England shirt on.”

The veteran goalkeeper also addressed the notable absences from Tuchel’s World Cup squad, with Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Harry Maguire among the high-profile omissions. “Every squad evolves,” Pickford said. “It’s unfortunate for the lads that don’t get picked but I’m not the manager and don’t have to make those decisions. We believe in the manager.”

England returned to their West Palm Beach base following the Tampa fixture, with the squad set to relocate to Kansas City next weekend as preparations intensify ahead of the tournament.