Evan Ferguson has vowed to battle his way through the negativity as he attempts to help create a brighter future for the Republic of Ireland.
The 20-year-old Brighton striker’s fourth senior international goal and his first since October last year handed Ireland a 1-0 Nations League win over Finland in Dublin on Thursday evening to send them into Sunday’s Wembley showdown with England in positive mood.
However, in his short time in the squad, he admits he has had to learn to cope with the criticism that life at that level can bring.
That Friday feeling 🕺☘️ pic.twitter.com/1ggM42jCnU
— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) November 15, 2024
Ferguson said: “It’s hard to turn off all media, but I think anyone who is looking at Irish football knows that all talk is sort of negative about it.
“Even with the win tonight, I’d say there’ll be a lot of negative [opinions] about it. But you just have to try and block it out and try to do your best.
“That’s the way it has been, and especially since I’ve been in. For nearly two years now, it’s always been that way and it’s stayed that way, so we just need to try and turn it around.
“It’s obviously a lot more negative than positive, so I think we just sort of said we’ll stay away and come together as a team. Whatever anyone says, they don’t play football.”
Ferguson’s elevation to senior level came during the latter stages of Stephen Kenny’s reign, and the former head coach’s return of just six wins in 29 competitive fixtures perhaps explains some of the negativity to which Ferguson alludes.
He knows greater positivity will come with better results and home and away victories over the Finns in the last month will do Ireland little harm, although both current boss Heimir Hallgrimsson and his players were swift to acknowledge that they had ridden their luck on Thursday night.
They were leading through Ferguson’s 45th-minute header when the striker found himself at the centre of a VAR review after Finland substitute Daniel O’Shaughnessy had hooked the ball against his arm, and German referee Harm Osmers belatedly pointed to the spot.
Ferguson said: “I didn’t know what was going on. I just thought we were trying to make the subs and then I saw that he was going over [to the pitchside monitor], so as soon as he went over, you just sort of think the worst, don’t you?
It’s good to score for Ireland and win the game at the same time
“When you see them going over, they normally give them.”
The Seagulls frontman need not have worried, however, as Liverpool keeper Caoimhin Kelleher, who had earlier seen his woodwork rattled twice, went the right way to repel Joel Pohjanpalo’s spot-kick and ensure his team-mate remained the match-winner.
Ferguson said: “It’s good to score for Ireland and win the game at the same time. It’s good to get the result, 1-0. We probably haven’t had it at home for a while, so everyone is buzzing.”
