Brighton secured European football for the first time in the club’s history with the help of two goals from Evan Ferguson against Southampton on Sunday. The 18-year-old has had a breakthrough season with Brighton, and some experts in football believe he will develop into a £100m player. Ferguson has been displaying traits that belie his age long before he was exposed to a greater media glare in a friendly against Chelsea, which was Frank Lampard’s first match in charge of Chelsea. He has been praised for his versatility in learning different positions in his formative years, with a special focus on midfield.
Karl Lambe first encountered Ferguson as a six-year-old at the prestigious St Kevin’s Football Club in Dublin, and he knew then that there was something special about him. Ferguson told him when he was eight that he wanted to play in the Premier League, and he said it with conviction. The kid who could become king had just helped Brighton secure European football for the first time in the club’s history. However, the south coast club is confident they would have had Newcastle and Manchester United fretting over a Champions League spot and reaching the FA Cup final, if Ferguson had not been unavailable for nearly a month due to an ankle injury.
Neil Fox, who worked with Ferguson at St Kevin’s and at youth level for Ireland, agrees and believes Ferguson has been something special for a long time. He has a complete game, and there is nothing lacking technically in his game. Despite being physically superior to opponents as a kid, Ferguson opted to use skill over his size.
Brighton’s academy manager, John Morling, had the inside track on Ferguson, having worked for the FAI with his father prior to joining the Seagulls. Having followed developments at St Kevin’s and Bohemians, he was convinced the boy could shine among men. Evan Ferguson had been on trial with Liverpool, Manchester United, Everton, and Celtic, but it was Brighton who detailed a clear pathway to the first team.
Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi emphasises Ferguson is “not a normal 18-year-old” given his physical development and technical brilliance. He has been impressed by how quickly Ferguson absorbs his tactical demands and how efficiently he has been able to implement them. Ferguson’s link-up play and passing vision scream of someone who has the ability to read the game as a midfielder.
Ferguson had been displaying traits that belie his age long before he was exposed to a greater media glare in that friendly against Chelsea. He will likely become a great player and one of the best strikers in the Premier League, according to De Zerbi. Ferguson recently flicked home a lovely opener for Brighton during their victory over Bournemouth.
