Ireland star Evan Ferguson ‘chooses' move to Serie A giants from Brighton but potential hurdle to shock loan emerges

The Irish Sun

2 days ago

EVAN FERGUSON has taken a big step towards securing a shock loan move to AS Roma, according to reports.
striker
has chosen a move to the Italian capital as a means to rekindle his career.
2
Evan Ferguson is set to leave Brighton
Credit: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
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And he is closing in on a move to Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma
Credit: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
However, Brighton are reportedly seeking a transfer fee of €45 million should the
The 20-year-old is set to leave the Seagulls this
summer
after struggling to establish himself on loan at
He made just eight
appearances for the Hammers since joining in January, but played only 14 minutes in their last eight games.
And former Ireland international
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"I played in the old Division 3 - League 2 and League 1. I'd had two years at that level, stepped up, took me a little time and then I felt I was starting to establish myself then or getting close to international set-up.
"I was probably very mature as a player. I was still developing as a player in my body as well.
"Physically I was going to get probably stronger along the way. My body was probably still developing until I was 22, 23 and beyond that as well, certainly physically.
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"Certainly in those first two years, I was worried because I was finding really inconsistent spells when I'd gone to West Brom."
After making 106 appearances for the Baggies, Kilbane moved to
for £2.5million in 1999.
Ireland ace Jessie Stapleton recalls marking Evan Ferguson in her schoolboy football days
It was a difficult first season, as they went winless between his debut against
Peter Reid's side was eventually relegated from the Premiership, with Kilbane labelling his first six months at the Stadium of Light as a "write-off".
He said: "I signed just before
"I was being seriously questioned.
"My whole Sunderland career probably in that first two years was probably, 'he can't cut the mustard', 'he can't do this', or whatever.
"It took me with Sunderland, probably 18 months before I felt really properly established."
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Kilbane credited the influence of managers
Peter
Reid and
And he reckons
Kilbane added: "I was 22 then,
"He's going to have decisions to make across his career. He's going to have spells of bad form and he's going to have injuries and he's going to have certain setbacks along the way.
"I had great managers around me. It was Peter Reid and it was Mick McCarthy. They gave me the belief and gave me the feeling of, 'you're going to be part of my squad, you're going to be part of this.'
"That was the thing that I probably needed.
"I always look back at my own career and feel as though it was underachievement because of the certain attributes that I would have had when I was coming through.
"You've got to do everything that's going to get you in the team and keep you in the starting 11 week in, week out.
"I started to learn that very early in my career and how to do that.
"That was the fortunate thing for me, again, that I had people around me that could have guided me."