Ferguson could surpass Rooney as the best teenage goalscorer - but De Zerbi is still not content
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Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 30.10.23. | 20:37
The Italian is determined to get his young striker to develop as much as possible
Evan Ferguson is on the cusp of matching a record held by Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney. After scoring last weekend, Ferguson has now netted ten goals in the calendar year, becoming the first teenager to achieve this feat since Rooney, who scored 11 in 2005. If he scores against Everton on Saturday, Ferguson could equal or even surpass the record held by the former Manchester United, Everton, and England striker.
But Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi is a big perfectionist - and he expects his players to be the same. The Italian expressed his belief that Ferguson, despite scoring for Brighton, has room for improvement. The Republic of Ireland international found the back of the net in Brighton's 1-1 draw with Fulham on Sunday.
Brighton's Evan Ferguson becomes the first teenager to score 10+ Premier League goals goals in a calendar year since Wayne Rooney in 2005 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/q0hJrttMWG
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 29, 2023
Ferguson's goal came after receiving the ball from Pascal Gross on the edge of the box, and he delivered an excellent low finish into the bottom corner, giving Seagulls the lead at the Amex Stadium.
De Zerbi, however, thinks that the big Irishman can perform even better for Brighton despite his goal-scoring efforts. The former Shakhtar manager mentioned that Ferguson is a unique player for the squad and that he played well against Fulham.
"Ferguson is not in the best moment of him, but he is a different player for us. He is a different striker we have in the squad. He played a good game against Fulham. I think he can play better, but he is not in the best moment."
Evan has made quite an impact since breaking into Brighton's first team in December. The 19-year-old has already drawn comparisons to football greats like Rooney, Alan Shearer, and current Premier League star Erling Haaland. His goal against Fulham was his fifth in the Premier League this season in just ten appearances, showing his continued growth and development.
Despite the goal and his promising performances, Ferguson himself acknowledged that he and his teammates need to be more clinical in front of goal. Brighton had opportunities to score more goals against Fulham but couldn't capitalize on them. Brighton's winless streak in the Premier League now stands at four matches.
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