Almost exactly a year ago, Evan Ferguson signed a new contract with Brighton. It was his second extension in the space of seven months - and yet it made perfect sense. Since his previous renewal in April 2023, Ferguson had cemented his status as one of the most promising young forwards in world football. Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool were all being linked with the teenager.
After hitting a hat-trick against Newcastle, he was nicknamed 'Erling Ferguson' and Gary Lineker admitted that he could see "a hint of Haaland" in the Irishman, while Arsenal legend Ian Wright enthused on 'Match of the Day', "He's got everything. Great movement, fantastic first touch, takes up great positions. He's only going to get better."
Ferguson hasn't improved, though - at least not yet. He's scored just three times since committing himself to Brighton until 2029 and talk of a transfer to a top team has died down. In fact, Ferguson's focus right now is just trying to get back into the starting line-up at the Amex after a year from hell.
So, what went wrong for the forward? And, ahead of Ireland's Nations League clash with England at Wembley on Sunday, could he be about to get his fledgling career right back on track?