Evan Ferguson has already left his mark on the Ireland players, quite literally.
The 18-year-old striker was called up to the senior squad for the first time ahead of this week’s international friendlies against Norway and Malta.
Having impressed for the under-21s in their recent qualification campaign, it was only going to be a matter of time before the Brighton striker received a call-up from Stephen Kenny, though it has probably still come a little earlier than expected.
Kenny knows plenty about Ferguson, the six-foot teenager has been turning heads since 2019 when he made his senior debut for Bohemians at only 14 years of age. And in recent days the rest of the Irish squad have got to learn plenty about his attributes.
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“I never realised how big he was until you see him in person,” said Chiedozie Ogbene.
“He’s doing really well. He’s a big lad and he’s eager. He’s very physical and works really hard so I’m hoping for great things from him.”
Ferguson was handed his Premier League debut against Burnley last February and while he has not added to that top-flight appearance, he did play and score in Brighton’s 3-0 Carabao Cup victory over Forest Green in August.
“It’s credit to Evan [to play in the Premier League at his age],” added Ogbene. “The ability he has at 18, I don’t think I even had it at 21. It’s a credit to him and how hard he’s worked and his ability to be here.
“And do you know what I like about him? It’s the way he’s training. Obviously he is grateful for where he is but he’s taking his opportunity, he’s not shying off tackles and he’s getting stuck in. I think that is going to play a big part for his career.”
Ogbene is not taking his chance for granted either. The Rotherham player had been struggling with a hamstring injury but reported for duty in Dublin and has been training this week, in the hope of featuring over the coming days.
“Obviously every game is a big game and this will be our final test before the Euro qualifiers for Germany, and I want to be involved,” he said.
“For us, we don’t see these friendlies as friendlies. We see these games as an opportunity to get our tactics right, especially when we go into the big tests come March.”
Ogbene made his senior debut against Hungary in June 2021 and he has scored three goals for Ireland. With Scott Hogan and Will Keane withdrawing from the squad because of injury, joining the already absent Troy Parrot and Adam Idah, it has opened up a chance for Ogbene to get some decent game time during the upcoming matches.
“From the first day I’ve been here I’ve always said how privileged I am to be in this position,” he added. “Many players miss out and I am here, we are all working so hard to be where we are and we never take this position for granted.
“I’ve seen players come here and not come back again. So to be called upon is obviously a huge honour for me. I take it seriously every time I am here and that’s why I have worked so hard to get my hamstring right, to hopefully get an opportunity against Norway or Malta.
“These caps mean a lot to me and my family. We all want to be here. Training today showed me how much players will put their bodies on the line to be here and to be available.”
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Ogbene has scored five goals in 16 Championship games for Rotherham this season, but he wants to enhance his strike-rate for club and country.
“It’s something I really want to improve on,” he admitted. “I looked at my stats and I don’t take enough shots per game. Maybe it’s the style of play at Rotherham but I want to improve on that.
“I’m sure you would prefer me scoring two every game, as a striker you want to score more goals or even get more assists. You want to contribute to the team and be a part of the build-up play to be effective for the team.
“That’s what I’m working on. I watch my clips a lot, I try to improve my movement because as a striker if you are not shooting you’re asking a lot for the team to score goals in another way. That’s an area I want to improve on.”
