Neil Lennon has urged fans to let Evan Ferguson “plough his own furrow” - and not get caught up in comparisons with Robbie Keane.
Ferguson bagged his first senior Ireland goal in just his third cap when he netted in last month’s 3-2 friendly win over Latvia. He followed that up with an impressive performance against France.
And in his first game back at Brighton, last Tuesday night, he scored a wonderful flick goal in the win over Bournemouth that instantly went viral across social media.
Former Celtic boss Lennon was speaking about Celtic vs Rangers Odds when he addressed the issue of drawing comparisons between Ferguson and other top stars.
“I’ve been so impressed with him, he has been brilliant. He’s got natural talent, he’s got good size and he has so many of the attributes that fit a modern day striker,” said Lennon.
“Obviously he is playing in a team that are excelling at the minute in Brighton, he can only flourish.
“To make comparisons is folly, you want him to plough his own furrow.
“I’m delighted he has decided to play for Ireland because they have lost a couple of big players over the years.
“To be honest with you, every country like Ireland needs a goalscorer.
“Ireland had Robbie Keane for years, Wales had Gareth Bale and it’ll be interesting to see how they’ll fare without him - a player that can win games on his own.
“You’ve got to leave players like Evan to it and let him develop into a top class player. He is showing all of those signs so far.”
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