Evan Ferguson is already rated as one of the most exciting young attackers in the world, after an excellent debut campaign for Brighton’s first-team which saw the striker catch the eye of fans and pundits alike.
The Irishman joined the south coast side in 2021 from Bohemians, for a fee around £500,000, which already looks like an absolute bargain.
A breakthrough season for Brighton’s Ferguson during the 2022-23 campaign saw him score 10 goals in just 25 games. The 18-year-old’s goal return is excellent for a player of his age.
Ferguson’s first goal for Brighton came in the 77th minute of a 4-2 defeat to Arsenal in December, as the striker remained composed and rolled the ball past goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.
At 18 years and 73 days, that strike made Ferguson the youngest ever Irish international to score in the Premier League. It also made him Brighton’s youngest ever scorer in the Premier League.
His first goal for his country came in a 3-2 win for Ireland against Latvia in March, making him the youngest player to score for his nation since Irish hero Robbie Keane in 1998.
Ferguson will be raring to go next season at the Seagulls, as he’ll be looked to by his manager Roberto De Zerbi to provide firepower for the team across all competitions.
With Brighton in the Europa League this season, the club are competing in Europe for the very first time in their history. The opportunity to play in a European competition at just 18 does not come around too often, so Ferguson will want to give the best possible account of himself.
The 4-2-3-1 system used by De Zerbi last season often saw Ferguson deployed up front on his own, with support from attacking players such as Alexis Mac Allister, Kaoru Mitoma and Julio Enciso.
Mac Allister has of course moved on to Liverpool, but the young squad of players at Brighton can help Ferguson to develop further at the club, as he matures alongside the likes of Enciso (aged 19) and Moises Caicedo (aged 21).
An obstacle that the Irishman will have to tackle is proving that he can do it over multiple seasons, as one poor campaign could start whispers of a ‘one season wonder’.
At his age however, he has a career of 10-15 years ahead of him. His development at Brighton has been clear to see and the direction of travel for the Seagulls is similar to Ferguson’s. Both are on a rapid rise upwards.
In his debut season, 10 goals was highly respectable, so Brighton fans will be dreaming about what he can add next season after bedding in so brilliantly to the first team.
Brighton fans aren’t the only supporters of the striker either. On Fantasy Premier League, 13.4% of players have decided to put the £6m man into their team.
Last season, Ferguson managed to return 65 points and had an average of 3.4 points per game. Having him in your team from the start could be a good, cheaper option if you can’t afford the likes of Harry Kane or Erling Haaland.
With Brighton’s first match in the league being Luton Town at home, Ferguson could get on the scoresheet immediately for the new season and potentially add some assists, against one of the favourites for relegation next year.
