Evan Ferguson determined to walk his own path after tough injury lay-off with Brighton

Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer were among the greats of the game hailing Ferguson as a star in the making, with his glorious Premier League hat-trick against Newcastle, a little over a year ago, cementing his reputation as one of the most sought-after strikers in the game.

Since then, injuries have hampered the progress of the striker who is still a teenager for another few weeks but, even without a goal for club or country in 2024, he doesn't believe he is back to square one.

"It's not like I'm starting again," he insists. "You can take based on what happened before and you just need to get back to the fitness and the sharpness.

"The last few months have been tough. When you have surgery and have to go through all of that, I think it does take its toll, but hopefully it's behind me now.

"You see a few people saying how long it is since I scored a goal, but you can't let that get to you."

​In an era when the door to the Premier League appears to be increasingly hard to break down, Ferguson's story is an inspiration to kids across Ireland daring to dream they could be next to make it across the water.

"It would be nice to think I might inspire a few kids," he added.

"It is not impossible to get to England. Someone is going to do it, so why can't it be you?"

The first round of success may have come quickly for Ferguson, but he admits the challenge of breaking through in England was not as easy as he made it look.

"At whatever level you are playing, you always need to prove to yourself," adds Ferguson, who was speaking at the launch of EA SPORTS FC 25 last week. "The hardest thing for me when I came over to England was adjusting to full-time football. Recovery, gym, training ... all of that kind of stuff.

"I started with the under 23s at Brighton and it was a massive learning experience. You get training with the first team and just take it step by step. When you are out there on the field, football is the thing you are used to the most, but there is a lot more around it.

"You don't understand what it is like over here when you come over from Ireland. You think it is just football, but it's hard to comprehend how different it is. The League of Ireland, to be honest, is a different game.

"Everyone is an athlete over here and you have to be on it every single day in training.

"It is pressure, but it is what you want to do, and it's what you signed up for."

Ferguson was handed a bumper new contract by Brighton at a time when the transfer rumours swirling around him reached a crescendo. That long-term deal came with a handsome and well-deserved pay rise, propelling Ferguson up the Premier League rich list as his star status was confirmed.

Yet fame and fortune is not what drives the kid from Bettystown in Meath, as he admits celebrity is not a prize he is chasing.

"I live a simple life, I don't really do too much," he continued. "It's a bit weird when people spot you in the street and it's a bit different when I go home now, but you get used to it.

"The people around me where I live don't hassle me too much and my friends and family treat me the same as they always did.

"As a kid growing up in Ireland at school, everyone talks about becoming a footballer and when it actually happens, it's an unbelievable experience.

"I used to watch Match of the Day every Saturday and suddenly they are talking about you, so it's a bit different, but it's all talk at the end of the day. You have to prove you can do it to yourself."

​Ferguson looked back on his debut as a 14-year-old for Bohemians, back in 2019, with a smile and opened up on a football journey that was inspired by his heroes at Manchester United and a position change that transformed his fortunes.

"I wasn't always a striker," he reflected. "I played left midfielder for a bit, played in midfield for a bit and then after a while I was thrown up top.

"I always had an eye for a goal, so I liked to get in and around the box, even when I wasn't playing up front.

"As a kid, I would have probably looked up to Wayne Rooney. I supported Manchester United and he is not a bad player to look up to.

"You can maybe take bits from his game, but it's hard to model yourself on one player. I think you have to look at different players, take bits from their game and bring it into your game."

As he has done since making his professional debut as a 14-year-old, Ferguson remains determined to walk his own path.