Evan Ferguson has been in a bit of a slump lately.
Ferguson is a favorite of Brighton and Hove Albion and a rising star in the English Premier League (PL). He’s only 19 years old, but he has good size (5’10”) and a good eye for goal. He”s also not limited to his dominant right foot.
Ferguson joined Brighton during the 2020/21 season from Bohemians in Ireland. After initially playing for the youth team, he was included in the first team roster ahead of the 2021/22 season. He made four appearances and one assist.
The following year, he gradually adapted to the senior game. In the 2022/23 season, he made a name for himself with 10 goals and three assists in 25 games.
Ferguson”s performances at the beginning of this season have been outstanding. In the fourth round of the PL, he scored a hat-trick against Newcastle United. He scored in the 27th minute of the first half, the 20th minute of the second half, and the 25th minute of the second half. After the game, soccer stats site SofaScore gave Ferguson a 9.7 rating.
He made history when he opened the scoring against Fulham in the 10th round of the PL. According to Goal.com, he became the first teenager since Wayne Rooney to score 10 or more goals in the PL in a calendar year (second half of 22/23 and first half of 23/24).
Several big clubs were after him. Manchester United, Chelsea, and others were interested. Brighton, of course, had no intention of letting him go. If an offer came in, they planned to ask for more than £100 million ($168.7 billion).
In the end, he stayed with the club. Last November, Ferguson agreed to sign a new contract with Brighton until June 2029. “He deserves a new contract,” said manager Roberto 메이저사이트 De Zerbi at the time, adding that he has “a very big future.”
However, he has struggled since re-signing. Ferguson hasn’t scored a goal in 16 appearances since December. It”s not just that he”s not scoring, he”s also not playing well. He even recently lost his starting spot to Danny Welbeck.
If he continues to struggle at a time when he needs to improve, he might not develop into a bigger player. For Ferguson, it’s important that he regains his confidence after tasting a goal.
“Ferguson is not having the best of times, but we understand him,” said De Jervi, adding that “he can do better. We can help him,” he encouraged.