Owen Cooper has been in the spotlight ever since his breakout role in the Netflix series ‘Adolescence’, and he’s also well known for his strong ties to Liverpool.
The 16-year-old’s career took off after playing a teenager accused of murder, and he’s continued to rack up awards since then.
His latest came on Sunday night, when he was named Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series at an event in Santa Monica.
During the evening, Cooper was spotted chatting with Timothee Chalamet about Liverpool. And while he may not be from Merseyside, the Warrington-born actor has made it clear where his loyalties lie.
That loyalty showed again on Wednesday night when, fresh off another award win, Cooper called for Arne Slot to give Rio Ngumoha more opportunities on the pitch.
Owen Cooper wants Arne Slot to “Free Rio”
Ngumoha’s name has been on the lips of many Liverpool fans lately. Cody Gakpo hasn’t found form on the left, but Arne Slot has held back from giving the young winger a run in the side.
There are reasons behind that decision, but it’s still frustrated some supporters who feel Ngumoha’s progress is stalling.
One of those backing Ngumoha is Owen Cooper, who posted on social media to make his feelings clear.
The actor used his Instagram Stories to share a photo of Ngumoha celebrating his Premier League goal against Newcastle in August, along with the hashtag “Free Rio” in big letters across the screen.
It’s not likely that Slot will take pointers from someone even younger than Ngumoha, but there’s growing pressure for him to start giving the 17-year-old more opportunities.
What kind of role does Rio Ngumoha have at Liverpool?
With Gakpo out of form, Mohamed Salah away at the Africa Cup of Nations, and Alexander Isak sidelined by injury, many supporters thought this winter would be the perfect chance for Ngumoha to step into a bigger role. But he’s only been used in short spells, which has left plenty of fans puzzled.
Slot has been quick to remind everyone that Ngumoha is still very young. There’s always a risk in throwing a player into a struggling side too early, especially with Liverpool not playing well at the moment.
The Dutchman is firm in his approach and doesn’t seem likely to change just because there’s outside noise growing. He’s shown that he won’t give in to external pressure when it comes to how he manages his squad.
So while Cooper and others can voice their opinions all they want, it probably won’t have much impact on Slot’s plans for Ngumoha. The head coach seems set on managing the youngster’s development on his own terms.
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