Brighton forward Evan Ferguson names three former Man United strikers he admired

Brighton forward Evan Ferguson has explained that he looked to take traits from different strikers that he’s watched, including three former Manchester United men.

Ferguson, 18, is open that he supported United but has since signed a new long-term deal at the Amex Stadium.

After becoming the first teenager since Wayne Rooney to score 10 Premier League goals in a calendar year, Ferguson has been talking about how he’s become so well-rounded at his age.

“You look at one thing that, say, Harry Kane, does, like the way he has such a quick touch and finish,” Ferguson told the Daily Mail of his inspirations as a striker. “You look at their different characteristics and see what suits you.

“I supported (Manchester) United as a boy. You had the Rooneys, the Berbatovs and obviously Danny Welbeck. They’ve always had a good thing going with the striker.”

Welbeck, who is now at Brighton competing alongside Ferguson, is someone who has helped the Irishman settle into life on the south coast. “As soon as I came in, he took me under his wing,” Ferguson explained.

Rooney was a hero for a young Ferguson who dreamt of playing in the Premier League and the teenager describes comparisons to the United top goalscorer as an honour.

“Yeah, definitely, he was [a hero of mine]. I used to watch him growing up as a kid. It’s a bit mad when you’re in and around the same sentences as him,” he told Sky Sports.

The striker joined Brighton in January 2021 from Bohemian but had interest from various top clubs including United, who he supported.

However, Ferguson explained that the pathway to first-team football at Brighton was attractive to him as a young player and why he chose to join them instead of other clubs.

“I remember my da [father] saying, ‘They’ve offered a deal. What do you think?’ I’d been over here enough times to know that if they offered me something, I’d like to sign. I had that in my head. It was the feeling I had when I came over here.

“The feeling, the people, there were Irish over here and they have a wall in the canteen that shows all the debutants and their ages. When you’re sitting there and seeing people who got the opportunity to play in the Premier League, it’s like, ‘Right, this isn’t unrealistic here. It’s doable.’ They had a pathway.”