Brighton & Hove Albion manager Roberto De Zerbi has claimed that he will do all he can to help Ireland's Evan Ferguson become one of the 'strongest strikers in Europe' after the Brighton star signed a new deal at the Amex on Tuesday.
The 18-year-old had a number of interested parties vying for his services, but Ferguson has signed a new contract at Brighton that runs until 2028.
The forward has had a stellar Premier League season, scoring nine goals in all competitions, including four in the Premier League. He also scored his first goal for the Republic of Ireland last month in a friendly against Latvia.
Head coach De Zerbi said, "Evan's contract extension is great news. He trains and plays like a senior player with many years of experience and has become an important member of the squad.
"The aim is to help him become one of the strongest strikers in Europe."
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— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) April 25, 2023
Brighton play Nottingham Forest tonight, but the Bettystown native will not feature as he is still trying to overcome an ankle injury.
De Zerbi, speaking earlier in the week, claimed that he does expect the Irish star to return for Saturday's game against Wolves.
Ferguson had his own words to say about his new deal and his injury status: "I feel alright, it's just a small issue. I felt good in that game [against Chelsea], and once I get back in, I should be able to get back into the swing of things quickly.
"I think I've done well so far under the new head coach. At the start, it took time to get used to him, but since we got back to playing after the World Cup, I've had my chance and he's trusted me.
"He just tells me there's no pressure, just to carry on working hard and doing my thing.
"It's been good to be involved in the first team, although the last few months have gone very quickly. It's been good to get some goals and assists in the Premier League."
Brighton and Forest kick off at 19:30 tonight.
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