Evan Ferguson has made just five substitute appearances since joining West Ham on loan from BrightonEvan Ferguson has made just five substitute appearances since joining West Ham on loan from Brighton
Evan Ferguson has made just five substitute appearances since joining West Ham on loan from Brighton | Getty Images
Evan Ferguson ‘needs a break’ to showcase his quality at West Ham.
That’s the expert opinion of the BBC’s chief football news reporter Simon Stone, who believes circumstances have conspired against the Brighton striker ever since his loan move to the Hammers was agreed on February 3.
Ferguson agreed to link up with former Seagulls boss Graham Potter on the final day of the winter transfer window in order to get more game time during a largely frustrating 2024-25 Premier League season.
A combination of injury and Fabian Hurzeler’s preference for others to lead Brighton’s attack meant the 20-year-old Irishman was limited to just two top-flight starts prior to his move to the London Stadium.
However, in the weeks that have followed that change of scenery, Ferguson has made just five appearances, all as a substitute; is yet to start for the Hammers; and has racked up just 110 minutes of football.
The striker’s latest setback was delivered by Republic of Ireland boss Heimir Hallgrimsson on Thursday night, with the Icelandic choosing AZ Alkmaar’s Troy Parrott to lead the line for the first leg of their crunch Nations League B/C relegation final against Bulgaria.
Now the Beeb’s Stone has provided an explantion why Ferguson has been unable to kick-start his career at the Hammers - pinpointing a number of factors that have been at play.
When asked: ‘What's happening with Evan Ferguson?’ in an international break Q&A on the BBC website, Stone replied: ‘I was really looking forward to what Evan Ferguson might produce at West Ham because he has so much quality.
‘However, it feels to me as though he has been pincered slightly. His lack of game time at Brighton means he can't have been fully match sharp when he signed. Then, Graham Potter landed on the three at the back as a way of making his team more solid and less easy to play through in midfield.
‘Jarrod Bowen was always going to start, so then it ends up being a decision over where Mohammed Kudus fits in, and Potter doesn't want him alongside Lucas Paqueta in a deeper role.
‘That has limited Ferguson's chances, which compound the lack of match sharpness.
‘It feels as though the Republic of Ireland international needs a break. There is definitely a top talent there. Circumstance means he hasn't had a chance to show it.’
Evan Ferguson has made just 13 Premier League appearances for Brighton this seasonEvan Ferguson has made just 13 Premier League appearances for Brighton this season
Evan Ferguson has made just 13 Premier League appearances for Brighton this season | Getty Images
Ferguson benched by Republic of Ireland
Ferguson has scored four goals in 19 appearances for Eire, after making his debut as an 18-year-old against Norway in November 2022.
He had made the starting XI in each of Ireland’s past five games - but was made to wait until the 75th minute to feature in a 2-1 win in Sofia.
Parrott’s record of 16 goals for AZ in the Eredivise meant his form was hard to overlook for such an important game.
On Saturday, Hallgrimsson provided a bit more thought on why he made that call as he prepares for the second-leg tie in Dublin tomorrow. He said: ‘Listen, it (Bulgaria) is a team which hadn’t lost at home since this coach took over, 13 games ago now. They are really good results. They’re difficult to break them down.
‘We analysed the game and we thought it was going to be played like this, with the spaces in behind, meaning we needed a good runner in behind, good crosses etcetera.’
Ferguson in contracted to Brighton until the summer of 2029.
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