It was less than two years ago that Jurgen Klopp rocked Liverpool football club with the announcement that he would step down from his post at the end of the 2023/24 season.

Liverpool fans felt that the glory days would be no more, and the German's project would taper off after several years of illustrious success.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp bows out

That, of course, wasn't the case, with FSG appointing Arne Slot from Feyenoord and then watching as the shrewd tactician willed Klopp's squad into a new shape, putting paid to any hopes of a Liverpool downfall, and instead guiding the Reds to the Premier League title.

So begins a new era, allowing Liverpool to sign some rather exciting superstars. Alexander Isak provided the cream on an extraordinary summer transfer window, but it's Florian Wirtz who could become the club's poster boy down the line.

Why Liverpool signed Wirtz

Liverpool broke the British transfer record when signing Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for a £116m fee. The 22-year-old arrived having established himself as a "generational talent" in Germany, as was noted by sports media professional Cristian Nyari, and fills the creative void left when Trent Alexander-Arnold up and left for Real Madrid.

Admittedly, Wirtz's opening few fixtures in the Premier League haven't been the stuff of dreams, but there's no question that his immense quality is in there, and that he will grow into a superstar under Slot's wing.

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After a few quiet showings, he looked flashier and smoother as Liverpool beat title rivals Arsenal before the international break and is expected to become one of the leading players in the Premier League.

Liverpool paid the big bucks to bring Wirtz over, and that's all well and good, but the Anfield side might already have a homemade version of the playmaker in Rio Ngumoha, who has made his mark already this season.

Liverpool's future superstar

Liverpool poached Ngumoha from Chelsea's Cobham Academy in 2024, and right from the off, it was clear that they had landed an elite talent, with John Terry even remarking that he was "gutted" the Blues had lost a prospect with a certain likeness to Eden Hazard.

He's made exciting progress over his time on Merseyside, but Ngumoha announced himself when scoring the winner at St. James' Park on his Premier League debut last month, marking the most extraordinary of entrances.

Electric on the ball, physical and having showcased an ability to keep his cool to convert in big moments, Ngumoha has the lot, and his precocious emergence is somewhat reminiscent of Wirtz's at Bayer Leverkusen, with the Germany talent making his professional debut at the age of 17 in May 2020.

The rest is history, and Ngumoha has already written himself into the record books with his goal against the Magpies. Hailed as a "special" player by journalist Bence Bocsak for his efforts during pre-season, Ngumoha has since proved himself to be in a different category altogether.

It was a show-stopping moment, to be sure, and Ngumoha's potential is clearly recognised by Slot and Liverpool's coaching staff, who opted against signing a direct replacement for Luis Diaz this summer after selling the Colombian to Bayern Munich for £65.5m.

Ngumoha will feature prominently throughout the campaign, and given that he has only just turned 17, he certainly carries the same prodigious weight as Wirtz when the German started to make a name for himself in Germany.

It would be foolish for the Reds to heap too much weight onto this youngster's back as he cuts his teeth at the senior level, but there's no question that he has what it takes to emulate Wirtz and one day stand alongside him as a generational talent in Slot's Liverpool.