The Fergie era is back and world football has settled on a light-hearted 18-year-old Irish boy on the south coast of England.
Forget that holding midfielders is fashionable; nothing stimulates the imagination of the sport like the player who can put the ball in the onion bag. Again and again.
Brighton’s Evan Ferguson, who played Newcastle United on Saturday, has that gift. Especially in the Premier League, such wealth has a currency like no other.
Alan Shearer, Harry Kane, Thierry Henry, Sergio Aguero, Michael Owen, Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Ruud van Nistelrooy, all prize predators, had it in spades.
While it is too early to place Ferguson in that competition, the Irish teenager is on the right track and could not be in a better place ahead of this week’s European Championship qualifiers against France and the Netherlands.
Evan Ferguson scored a hat-trick on Saturday as Brighton comfortably beat Newcastle
The 18-year-old is currently one of the most promising young players in the Premier League
Ireland’s hopes of qualifying for Euro 2024 already seem heavily dependent on the Brighton striker
After becoming the youngest non-English player to score 10 goals, it unleashed an outpouring of tributes.
“I don’t want to get carried away, but I do see a touch of Haaland about him,” Gary Lineker said in Match of the Day on Saturday night. “His stature and his movements and things like that. His childhood too. He’s got it.’
Ian Wright, who also recognizes a top striker when he sees one, also gave his approval.
“He’s got everything,” Wright added. “Great movement, great first touch, great positioning. He’s only getting better.’
Yesterday on Talksport, former Irish goalkeeper Tony Cascarino took off his cap.
‘He’s a great player. I wouldn’t be surprised if he breaks the British transfer record.’
Former Brighton Under 18 coach Mark Beard, who has also tipped Irish midfielder Andy Moran for great things, predicted ahead of Saturday’s treble that Ferguson could go for more than £150m.
Brighton is no stranger to buying small amounts and selling large amounts, as she has collected large sums for Moises Caicedo (€116 million), Marc Cucurella (€65.3 million) and Ben White (€58.5 million). ). and Alexis Mac Allister (€42m/£35.9m) in the past two summer transfer windows.
At some point they will redeem Ferguson, not 19 until next month. They have a contract until 2028 and are in no hurry to sell, but if they do there will be a rush and Ferguson, at its pace of progress, will demand a fee of more than a hundred million euros. Manchester United, who are crying out for a striker, seem like a perfect fit.
Whatever happens, there is no doubt that Ferguson’s fee will break Nathan Collins’ current Irish record, and lead to seven-figure windfalls for Bohemians, as well as St Kevin’s Boys, for their part in nurturing his career.
His current strike rate is a Premier League goal every 115 minutes, which is better than any other striker, who scored every 108 minutes.
Better than Shearer, Kane and Co? Maybe. They are the conversations Ferguson could soon be a part of if he maintains his goals-per-minute ratio. After his media duty was over on Saturday, when he admitted what happened was “hard to process,” Ferguson returned to an ovation from his teammates in the dressing room.
When Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi followed him, he slapped every player and quickly moved on. Ferguson was treated the same as everyone else. There was no special treatment for the match winner, who would keep him grounded.
Football has been awash with unfortunate stories of tyros exploding on the spot, flashing through the air and then disappearing. Ferguson will not fall into that trap.
Brighton CEO Paul Barber described him as ‘humble, with a strong work ethic’ and a ‘very, very, very decent person with really strong values from a good family’.
We’ve been here before with a teenage Irish striker at Brighton who was in the news for his performances in the Premier League against Champions League opponents.
Long before Ferguson went on the run, Aaron Connolly famously surfed a wave in October 2019 and was pushed forward for a crucial Euro 2020 double-header, only to slip back into the shadows.
Coincidentally, Connolly’s recall from the squad this week reflects his rehabilitation after a period where he seemed lost and he deserves credit for getting his career back on track.
Gary Lineker was one of many who praised Ferguson and compared him to Erling Haaland
The 18-year-old is the first elite striker Ireland has produced since the days of Robbie Keane
Ferguson is in a great position ahead of tough Euro 2024 qualifiers against France and the Netherlands
As for Ferguson, he’s not the kind to get distracted, not with Father Barry and other sane heads around him. His goal is goals and where they can take him.
“He can get big, big, big,” De Zerbi said.
How big? Tests against the elite defenders of France and the Netherlands this week will give further indication of that.
This Irish shooting star, the first since Robbie Keane, is definitely a keeper.
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