Ireland star Evan Ferguson hailed as SIXTH BEST young player by ...
EVAN FERGUSON is the SIXTH best young player in world football, according to L'Equipe.
The 18-year-old has the hopes of Ireland on his shoulders ahead of their Euro 2024 qualifier against Greece tonight.
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Despite his formative age, the Brighton striker is set to lead the line for the Boys in Green following his sensational breakout season.
He made 19 Premier League appearances for the Seagulls last term, scoring six goals, equating to a goal every 158 minutes.
In the midst of this, he broke into Stephen Kenny's senior Irish team, winning his first cap as a sub against Norway in November.
His first start and goal came against Latvia, while he followed this up with his first competitive start in their Euro 2024 qualifier loss to France in March.
His rise has seen him linked with moves to the likes of Manchester United, only for him to sign a new contract to stay at Roberto De Zerbi's team.
And his potential has been recognised by the notoriously tough Frenh newspaper L'Equipe.
The publication released their top 30 players born after February 2004, with Ferguson ranked as sixth.
The only players to finish ahead of him are Barcelona's Gavi in number one, followed by his Brighton teammate Julio Enciso.
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The top five is made up of Youssoufa Moukoko (Borussia Dortmund), Roméo Lavia (Southampton), and Alejandro Garnacho (Man Utd).
It represents a remarkable turnaround from L'Equipe's assessment of the former Bohemians striker following that aforementioned game against France.
Stephen Kenny's men lost 1-0 to the 2018 World Cup winners, after Mike Maignan dramatically denied Nathan Collins a late equaliser in Dublin.
L'Equipe were clearly not all that impressed by Ferguson's showing, giving him a score of 3/10 - the same score as Kylian Mbappe.
Jason Knight joined the Brighton ace on '3' with Nathan Collins, Josh Cullen and Matt Doherty all a point better on '4'.
Gavin Bazunu, Jayson Molumby and Dara O'Shea received '5's while captain Seamus Coleman and Chiedozie Ogbene were given '6's.
TRIBUTES POYETGoing into that game against Les Bleus, Mbappe had acknowledged the threat posed by Ferguson.
And before tonight's game in Athens, Greece manager Gus Poyet warned his team to be similarly wary.
The Uruguayan said: “I always say that when a player is able to perform at the level he has in the Premier League at his age, then he is a special player.
“Normally when you are at a club you see potential in certain players and you are thinking about putting him in but you are always worried as a coach whether he is going to be able to deal with the power and the intensity and he has been incredible.
“When Roberto De Zerbi is playing him week in week out when he is fit he has shown that he can do it. So it is a little bit of work for our defenders and plenty of attention to him.”
Another major fan of the Bettystown boy is Denis Irwin, with the former Man Utd and Ireland defender suggesting the Boys in Green hadn't had a striker of his calibre since Robbie Keane.
However, the Corkman warned fans not to overegg the pudding amid comparisons to Alan Shearer and Harry Kane.
He said: “You’re talking about Kane and Shearer. He’s a young lad at 18 who has broken through at Brighton.
“We always put these things on young players but certainly he looks a sensible lad which is good.
“He’s in a good place at the moment and we’ve not had a centre-forward of his ability since Robbie Keane, I’d say.
“I hadn’t met him before but he’s very confident, very level-headed.
“I don’t want to put too much pressure on him but he looks a really good player. He’s at a good club for him to be at in Brighton, a very stable club, the manager seems very good, they play a lovely style of football, a different style of football.
“He’ll always be judged on his goals because centre-forwards are — but he links well in the build-up.”
