The Brighton striker has struggled horribly for form and fitness since making Premier League history but there are signs of a return to his peak
Almost exactly a year ago, Evan Ferguson signed a new contract with Brighton. It was his second extension in the space of seven months – and yet it made perfect sense. Since his previous renewal in April 2023, Ferguson had cemented his status as one of the most promising young forwards in world football. Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool were all being linked with the teenager.
After hitting a hat-trick against Newcastle, he was nicknamed 'Erling Ferguson' and Gary Lineker admitted that he could see "a hint of Haaland" in the Irishman, while Arsenal legend Ian Wright enthused on 'Match of the Day', "He's got everything. Great movement, fantastic first touch, takes up great positions. He's only going to get better."
Ferguson hasn't improved, though – at least not yet. He's scored just three times since committing himself to Brighton until 2029 and talk of a transfer to a top team has died down. In fact, Ferguson's focus right now is just trying to get back into the starting line-up at the Amex after a year from hell.
So, what went wrong for the forward? And, ahead of Ireland's Nations League clash with England at Wembley on Sunday, could he be about to get his fledgling career right back on track?
Getty Images Sport'He can become the top scorer in Europe'
Irish football has been in the doldrums for well over a decade at this stage, so it was inevitable that Ferguson's emergence would spark giddy excitement among the nation's long-suffering football fans.
From the moment he made his first appearance for Bohemians in a friendly against Chelsea at just 14 years of age, his every move was closely monitored, and each step forward greeted with glee.
However, it became clear after Ferguson's subsequent switch to Brighton that Ireland's great hope was a genuinely prodigious talent. Ferguson scored 10 times in all competitions during his first full season with the Seagulls' senior side and manager Roberto De Zerbi felt there was no point in trying to downplay the striker's superstar potential.
"He can become big, big, big," the Italian told after the hat-trick against Newcastle in August 2023. "His qualities are enough to become a great player. He can become one of the best, the top scorer in Europe. He was born in 2004, he's 18 – I don't know many players that young that score like him."
AdvertisementGetty 'Help himself first of all'
However, after making it four goals in his first four appearances of the 2023-24 season with his historic treble, Ferguson added just two more to his tally before his campaign was brought to a premature end by injury at the end of March – and everyone wanted to know why.
De Zerbi was largely supportive of his struggling striker but he also pointed out that Ferguson still had a lot to learn – which seemed fair enough, given his tender age.
"There is a time when [young players] play very well and they score," the Brighton boss told in December of last year, "but, in different moments, they can suffer [from] the level of competition.
"In the last two months, Evan suffered, from injury and other things, and he can play better. The level of Evan is higher than the level he is playing at in this moment, so we have to help him.
"But he has to help himself first of all, to understand better the play. He’s very young, though, he is like my son and I try everything to help him become a great player, for sure."
By February, though, De Zerbi intimated that Ferguson wasn't just being held back by nagging fitness issues. "The team needs Evan," the former Sassuolo coach said, "but Evan at 100 percent of his physical and mental condition."
There were suggestions, though, that De Zerbi wasn't exactly helping Ferguson get out of his rut.
Getty'So bad for the boy'
Eyebrows were raised when Charlie Mulgrew expressed some concern over how Ferguson was being utilised by De Zerbi while preparing for certain fixtures last season.
According to the former Celtic midfielder, who attended Brighton training sessions as he looked to make the transition from player to coach, De Zerbi organised practice games between his likely starting line-up and an 11 charged with replicating the set-up and tactics of their next opponents.
Ahead of a meeting with Forest, Mulgrew says Ferguson didn’t even get to touch the ball.
"They’ve got two or three coaches coaching the ‘other team’ and this is different, I’ve never seen this before,” the Scot explained on the podcast. “So, they’ve got Forest on this particular weekend and, obviously, Forest are a bit of a low block in a 4-4-2, so [De Zerbi] has got [his assistants] coaching the 'other team' exactly how they (Forest) move.
"Bibs on, 1-11 is a Nottingham Forest team, and they're pressing how Forest would press… It must be so bad for the boy Ferguson training like that two days in a row… it's all build-up [play] coming towards him, and he's got [the coaches] just moving him, swinging his shoulders and body position.
"Whenever the ball comes up to Ferguson, they'd blow the whistle and go back to the start. They saw the play through but the 'Forest team' never, ever got the ball. [Ferguson] must have been [raging] but obviously he's got that much respect for the manager, he's just coming through… that [the forwards] all go work on their finishing themselves and they're desperate for a five-a-side, they must be."
Getty ImagesChange of coach
Former Brighton striker Warren Aspinall also claimed that Ferguson's lack of game time in the Premier League so far this season (just 101 minutes across six appearances) is down to the fact that he's having to adapt to a whole new style of play under Fabian Hurzeler, who took over from De Zerbi during the summer.
"You can't forget he's still a teenager," Aspinall told Albion Unlimited' podcast just a few days before Ferguson turned 20 on October 19. "He's just trying to integrate into the first team. The injury set him back a long way but so did the De Zerbi way of coming short for everything. I don't think Hurzeler wants his centre-forwards to do that.
"So, Ferguson has to get his game going again – stretching teams and playing as a natural centre-forward, and not in the De Zerbi way of coming short all the time."
However, there have been encouraging signs in the last few weeks that Ferguson is starting to find his feet.
