Irish legend backs Evan Ferguson to shine if he 'feels at home' at Celtic

Irish Daily Mirror

21 hours ago

Shay Given has touted the potential move for Irish talent Evan Ferguson to Celtic as a great deal.
The 20-year-old Meath man burst onto the scene with Brighton in 2022 and rapidly caught the attention of major European clubs. However, since his rise, Ferguson has faced some challenging seasons, notably a tough spell without goals spanning 33 matches, which he finally broke last October.
Once seen as worth in excess of £100million, Ferguson's stock has tumbled at the Seagulls after an unfulfilling loan stint with West Ham in the Premier League.
With Brendan Rodgers on the lookout for a new striker this summer, there's chatter about the Bhoys providing Ferguson with an opportunity to rekindle his form at Parkhead, where he could vie with Ireland compatriot Adam Idah for the leading role.
Irish legend Shay Given, age 49, is confident that the young player could rediscover his goal-scoring touch in the Scottish league. When quizzed on the idea of Ferguson heading to Glasgow, Given lightheartedly warned: "Better not tell Adam that!".
"Evan just needs to find a home, if I'm being honest. Be it here or somewhere else. He needs someone to say, 'You're my player,'" reports the Daily Record.
Given was also reflective on Ferguson's situation post-Brighton: "He went to West Ham for Graham Potter and you thought that was the perfect fit because Graham had him at Brighton. But then he didn't play so much at West Ham either."
Highlighting the choices at West Ham, Given noted: "Michail Antonio and someone else was injured, yet they played Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus - not Ferguson. What happens next for Evan?".
Given expressed his opinion: "I just think he needs to go, be it a loan for a season or some club buys him, and you build the team around him. I think he's a top player, I really do."
While working with Malaysian TV alongside Bobby Zamora, who coaches Brighton's strikers, Zamora stated that Evan was the best finisher at the club.
It's possible that high expectations were placed on Evan due to his rapid emergence, but time is often needed for young players to develop. "Maybe because he burst onto the scene that everyone's been expecting so much so soon. But again, with young players, you need to have a bit of time."
Given, who keeps an eye on Celtic's Irish trio as a TV pundit in Ireland, including Idah, Liam Scales, and Johnny Kenny, believes Evan is ready to shine for a full season with the right team. "I just feel he's ready now to burst onto the scene for a full season with somebody. For us, with Ireland, it would be great too."
When asked about the possibility of purchasing Evan, Given remarked: "I don't know if the finances would be to buy him, but if you said for a loan for the season, it would be perfect. But I'm not the financial power at Celtic or Newcastle, so I don't know!
"He'll also want to add to his international goals too. Liam Scales has come out of the team in recent weeks, I think. Adam and Scalesy are well regarded in the international set-up.
"Adam's competing with Ferguson and Troy Parrott and players like that. Ferguson, not that long ago, was being talked about as a £100m player, and Adam started on Friday night against Senegal.
"So, that's where he's regarded in the Irish set up, by the manager especially. He was the first choice on Friday night while Ferguson started against Luxembourg. Adam's very much competing for that number nine jersey.
"He's a good player, and with Brendan - who is a brilliant manager and coach - he's in the right environment. Celtic's a big club and I think Brendan will keep improving him as a player. I think he's in the perfect position."
Kenny, the 22 year old emerging striker, came back from an impressive loan spell at Shamrock Rovers in January but found himself largely on the fringes for the rest of the season.
He scored his debut goal for the title-holders in a 5-1 thrashing at Pittodrie and even made a brief appearance in the Scottish Cup Final loss at Hampden that shattered hopes of a treble.
Given is optimistic about Kenny's prospects in football and remarked: "He was on loan at Shamrock and did well. I know obviously with Dermot there's a connection with Celic and Shamrock. He's come back here and played a couple of games off the bench.
"You'd need to ask Brendan for his plans for Johnny for the season. Does he see him as part of the plans or him going back out on loan? Does Brendan think he's ready? I don't see enough of him to know for sure.
"But again, from an Ireland perspective, we'd really like to see more of him for Celtic. When you get a flavour of first team football, you just want more and more.
"Even at Shamrock Rovers, the League of Ireland's flying at the minute. Damien Duff has added a huge problem to the league as well. "The stadiums are sold out now.
"When you go to play in front of crowds, it gives you such a lift. I remember for myself back in the day, I went to Swindon as a kid and I loved playing in front of decent crowds. It doesn't matter how big the crowd is, that edge is there.
"When you then go back to the reserves, it's not the same. It's a bit of a step back. So for Kenny, he'll want to play again, having had that taste of first-team football."