It's taken three games but Evan Ferguson has scored his first competitive goal for Ireland in their 3-o win over Gibraltar this evening and if Didi Hamann is right about just how good Ferguson is, it should be the first of many goals to come. The RTE pundit made some intriguing points about Ferguson's abundance of talent, suggesting it's time to build a great team around him.
Ferguson struck home Ireland's second goal of the night with a sublime header in the 59th minute, with Mikey Johnston breaking the deadlock just minutes before with a tap-in off a free kick and Adam Idah adding the third in the dying moments of the game.
Ireland 2-0 Gibraltar - Evan Ferguson heads home after some fine Irish build-up play and suddenly the mood has turned at the Aviva Stadium.
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While Ireland's performance was satisfying, it was far from convincing with Ireland unable to break the deadlock in the first half despite having all the possession. In their defence, Ireland had utter control in the second half and Evan Ferguson shone with his phenomenal goal a possible taster of what could be for Ireland.
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Didi Hamann thinks it's time to build around Evan Ferguson
Evan Ferguson certainly impressed Didi Hamann who paid the 18-year-old the ultimate compliment identifying an abundance of talent that will make him one of Ireland and the Premier League's top players.
He looked the complete player at eighteen years of age. He's obviously a very good header of the ball and he anticipates where the cross is going to come.... But I just feel that he doesn't waste any energy he's very very smart the way he plays,the way he keeps the ball, the way he brings his teammates into play and he just doesn't waste any energy.
Because sometimes you see forwards and when things don't go right they chase everything and they're out of breath or don't have the energy to do what they should do, but he's just an all around player at his age. I think he's got everything to be a huge player for Ireland, for Brighton and for whoever he plays for over the next few years.
With Evan Ferguson looking like the man to bring Irish football to new heights, Hamann said it's time for Stephen Kenny or whoever else is there to build the team around him, with himself and one or two other brilliant players all Ireland need.
You have to see who fits him best and obviously the better the players are who play with him, the easier it will be for him. As a team you only need three or four players, they've got two outstanding goalkeepers, in Egan they've got a real leader at the back...then you've got a centre-forward and then you just need to find six or seven players to play around them.
These three or four players have to play all the time and he'll be one of them and obviously if Ireland want to be succesful he'll have to score lots of goals, but I think he will.
Even when Liam Brady suggested that Stephen Kenny, simply doesn't have enough talent to supply Ferguson with a solid partner, Hamann was convinced the 18-year-old Brighton star would make everyone better, a rare talent in centre forwards.
I do think Ferguson is a player who makes other players better... and I don't think there's too many centre forwards who do that but he strikes me as a player who always does what helps the team the most, not what helps him the most... so they'll find somebody (good enough to play with Ferguson) because playing next to him is not that difficult.
Hamann has played with many great and disappointing strikers in his time at the top of the game so he certainly knows what he's talking about. Whether he's correct this time only time will tell, but Irish fans can live in hope that Evan Ferguson is Irish football's messiah.
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