Evan Ferguson suffered eight injuries last year, six of which were ankle problems, while two were cruciate ligament tears. When he first burst onto the scene at Brighton, Gary Lineker likened him to Harry Kane, saying he had that natural striker’s instinct and finished incredibly well.
Injuries have meant he only managed one goal in his last 13 games for Brighton and is still waiting for his first goal at West Ham after three matches. Speaking to Telecom Asia after the game on Thursday night, the Irish forward said he’s looking to make up for all the disappointment the injuries have caused now that he’s been given a fresh start.
Obviously, it felt disappointing, but all I could do was get myself in the best shape possible, given there was not much I could do. I’m delighted to be here, and hopefully now I can have a free run.
At West Ham, he’s reunited with Graham Potter, who gave him his Premier League debut when he was only 16 in August 2021. Playing for a manager who knows you always goes a long way in boosting your confidence, and Ferguson, who is desperate to make his mark, says it feels good to be back working with his former boss.
He added:
It’s been good. Obviously, I know him from before, but he’s also come in and got new ideas. He’s not been here long, but we are making progress.
West Ham are currently without two of their main strikers. Michail Antonio was involved in a car accident and will not play again this season, while the German forward Niclas Füllkrug has only managed nine league games since joining in the summer due to persistent knocks.
This is a perfect opportunity for the 20-year-old Irish forward to flourish again at a club in London, looking to make up for lost ground due to a slow start to the season. Both West Ham and Ferguson need each other to get back to where they belong.
He admits the results in some of his first games haven't gone as planned, but everyone has received him well, and he’s looking to just focus on helping the team on the field.
This obviously is a very good feeling, even with the result. Understanding with the guys straight away is not easy, as we’ve had a hard few training sessions, but we are getting there. I feel good, and it feels really nice to be out there, so hopefully, I can go on to do better things.
Injuries can take the confidence out of any striker. Kylian Mbappé took a while to get going at Paris Saint-Germain, and the Premier League is a tough league so it might take a while for Ferguson to get back to his very best but there are people who believe that when Ferguson gets his confidence back, he’ll be hard to stop.
He adds that he doesn't have any confidence issues and will get it right once he maintains his fitness and consistency. He concluded:
Yeah, I wouldn’t say I have any confidence issues. I just want to get back to the routine, and that’s what I’m doing now. Everyone has been good to me and welcomed me, so yeah, it’s been very smooth.
West Ham are currently 15th in the league table with little chance of securing any form of European football next season. They are also out of the FA Cup, so they will have a free weekend when their new manager, Potter, can work on the team at the Rush Green training ground.
