Evan Ferguson has a ‘big future’ in the game, according to Brighton boss Graham Potter.
The Irish youngster, 17, has made impressive strides since joining the Premier League club from Bohemians a year ago.
Striker Ferguson has eight goals in 15 appearances this season for the Seagulls Under-23 side.
And that form saw him catapulted onto the first-team bench for recent Premier League games against Chelsea, Brentford and Wolves.
He made his Brighton first-team debut off the bench in a League Cup win over Cardiff in August.
But Potter feels Ferguson - who played against Chelsea as a 14-year-old with Bohs - has a bright future ahead of him.
Potter told Sussex Live: "I’ve been really impressed with him in training, he’s got really good movement.
“You can see his qualities and his goals, they’re not by accident, that’s for sure. He knows where to be in the box and around the defenders.
"The more he is with us, the better he will get. The guys in the academy have done a fantastic job with him, now it’s about the next stage.
"We need to take it at the right pace for him, but while he’s in the first team it’s a great experience for him."
Ferguson will also jump up the pecking order after Aaron Connolly’s loan move to Middlesbrough and he could see some action in Saturday’s FA Cup clash at West Brom.
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