Evan Ferguson Has Learned A Lot After Being in 'Difficult Place' Before Roma Move

It was a comment that stuck with Evan Ferguson.

“I remember Patrice Evra saying in one of his interviews that Italy is a completely different game,” the striker tells SPORTbible. “He also said England felt like he was on his holidays. I swear it’s one of the hardest things I’ve done."

Evra, who described his spell in Italy as “one of the most difficult challenges in my life”, claimed training sessions were tougher than a matchday. “Some people say it’s easier to play in Italy, but they wouldn’t even be able to train,” he added. “It was such a shock for me.”

Ferguson can relate after leaving the Premier League for a new challenge last summer. The 21-year-old joined Serie A giants Roma on a season-long loan from Brighton, a move that was partly inspired by the success of Scott McTominay and former teammate Billy Gilmour, who have both impressed at Napoli.

From the club's Trigoria training ground ahead of another gruelling session under renowned taskmaster Gian Piero Gasperini, the Irishman has a big smile on his face as he recalls walking through the doors for the first time.

“I remember arriving for pre-season, around a week after the lads had done their first week. When everyone came in from training, they were dead,” he grins. “It’s hard. Every day is non-stop. It’s always onto the next, doing more. It’s a lot."

Christian Vieri once said that Gasperini will “destroy you” in training but after working tirelessly to impress his manager, a rejuvenated Ferguson is starting to show signs of his old self after struggling with confidence, something he speaks about in refreshing depth during our sit-down chat.

In his own words, it has taken a while to adjust, but things are looking up.

“It’s not easy to come to a new place and hit the ground running,” says Ferguson. “It’s a completely different league with different play styles. I think when you come over, people expect things to happen straight away, but it just doesn’t work like that.

“It has taken some time. There have been ups and downs, but now I’d say I’m pretty settled. I’m in a good place physically and mentally, and know where my head’s at. I’m ready to build on what I’ve been doing so far.”

After scoring four goals on his Roma debut in pre-season, it took the Republic of Ireland international until the end of November to score his first goal in Serie A - a tough start that brought criticism, and questions, from sections of the Italian media.

However, he recently netted twice in a 3-0 win over Celtic, with the hard-to-impress Gasperini making note of his hard work. “During the game, he did what he often does in training,” the Italian said at Celtic Park. “He’s a young lad, and we have to be patient.”

That patience is starting to pay off. Ferguson has netted two goals in his last three games, all while winning Player of the Match awards for performances against Genoa and Leece. There is a feeling that the good times will continue to roll at the Stadio Olimpico.

"I've had some difficult times,” he says, looking back at the past couple of years. “I wanted to get back to myself at Roma and get back to scoring goals. I just want to have a smile on my face and enjoy it all.”

To fully grasp the extraordinary trajectory of Ferguson's journey, you need to go back to Dalymount Park, the home of Bohemians.

At the age of 14 years and eleven months, he made history by becoming the youngest player in League of Ireland history, when he appeared for the club in a goalless draw against Derry City in September 2019.

Two months earlier, he had impressed in a friendly with Premier League side Chelsea - an appearance that made worldwide news at the time.

He would go on trial with Liverpool, Manchester United, Everton and Celtic, but Brighton eventually won the race in January 2021, with the club’s pathway and recruitment success being crucial factors in his decision.

“From the age of 14, people were talking,” Ferguson remembers.

“I was with the Bohemians first team and all the lads were saying, ‘When are you going to move away?’. I joined Brighton and everything went smoothly. I didn't really have many difficulties. I went in, played some games for the under-18s and 21s before breaking into the first team. Everything was on the up.”

Ferguson was 18 years and two months when he scored his first Premier League goal for Brighton on New Year’s Eve 2022, making him the youngest Irish player to score in the Premier League.

He went on to bag 12 goals in his first 32 Premier League games, and became the fourth-youngest player to score a Premier League hat-trick when he netted a treble against Newcastle in September 2023, aged 18 years and eleven months.

The verdict was in. “Left foot, right foot, headers, pace, aggression, intuition; there is no obvious weakness to his game, which is only going to get better and better. He has the lot,” Alan Shearer wrote in his column for The Athletic.

“Ferguson is a special talent, one that needs to be nurtured,” the Premier League’s all-time top goalscorer added. “He’s at the right club at the right time but, as far as the future goes, he can be anything he wants to be.”

Some of Europe’s top clubs began to circle. Manchester United were heavily linked with a big-money move, while Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal were also keen, according to widespread reports. Brighton, meanwhile, valued him at around the £100 million mark.

“You see it in the newspapers and reports, but if you don't hear anything personally or you don't see anything on the table, you can't really let it affect you,” Ferguson says about those transfer rumours.

“It's all just talk at the end of the day. People are trying to make their money and make some headlines."

Unfortunately for Ferguson, his progress would come to an abrupt halt, with numerous setbacks - including a patellar tendon knee issue and a serious ankle injury, which required ligament surgery - ruling him out for several months.

Between the end of November 2023 and October 2024, Ferguson failed to score a goal in 33 club appearances, with injuries, a lack of form and managerial changes disrupting the flow that many strikers rely on.

A six-month loan spell at West Ham under Graham Potter, the man who handed Ferguson his senior debut in 2021, did little to improve matters as he struggled for regular minutes towards the end of last season.

“Listen, football is not an easy game. I came in, started off really well and then had a few injuries. I stopped playing and sort of lost myself. I lost a bit of confidence,” he admits.

“It's a difficult place to be in when you've gone from the highest of highs to experiencing those low points. I went from the highest to the lowest. I've learned a lot in the past two years or so about myself, both on and off the pitch.”

“What have I learned about myself?” says Ferguson, repeating our follow-up question. “At the end of the day, you're the only person who can make it happen. There's a lot of outside noise, but you can't really pay too much attention to that. It's just you and what you do every day.”

Away from club football and the international stage was a completely different story, with Ferguson being instrumental for the Republic of Ireland in their World Cup qualifying campaign.

In September and October last year, the striker scored three goals in four games for Heimir Hallgrimsson's side, including a crucial header against Armenia that kept Ireland's qualification hopes alive.

Another injury ruled him out of that dramatic 3-2 win over Hungary, which sealed their spot in the playoffs for this summer's World Cup. He watched Troy Parrott's hat-trick from an Irish bar in central Rome with friends.

“Looking back, it was probably one of the best international campaigns anyone has ever had,” Ferguson smiles.

The 21-year-old will undoubtedly play a key role for his country in March, when they face the Czech Republic in a much-anticipated play-off semi-final. “We obviously haven't gone to a major tournament in a while, so to be able to get there would be really special,” he says.

If the past 12 months are anything to go by, Roma could be challenging for a first league title in 25 years when May rolls around. The Giallorossi collected more points than any other Serie A club in 2025 (82), with reigning champions Napoli picking up 75.

A win over Lecce on Wednesday night means Gasperini’s side are just three points behind league leaders Inter Milan at the halfway point.

“Everything’s positive at the minute,” says an upbeat Ferguson. “I think, as a team, we’re on a good run. It’s not just me. As a team, we’re in a good place and I think we’re finding a bit of rhythm and momentum now. We’ll see where it takes us and keep on going.”

Before his summer move to Rome, the striker was lacking in confidence, which stemmed from a number of factors, including injuries and form.

After a positive start to 2026, a run of goals and games - coupled with success for club and country - could mark a defining chapter in Ferguson’s career, although he is keen to keep his feet firmly on the ground.

“I haven't thought about it," said Ferguson, after being asked about his future beyond the current season. "I think it's one step at a time. You can't think about what you're going to be doing next year. I'm here at the minute, and that's it.

"I'm going to try and keep working as long as I'm here.”