But it is the Irish teen’s willingness to work in that respect which has impressed his senior team-mate as well as the goals. Ferguson fired in a hat-trick against Toon to secure a 3-1 win. There was as much focus on the defending he faced as there was on his finishing. Newcastle didn’t get close for the first two goals. They got a bit nearer for the third and it resulted in a deflection to wrongfoot Nick Pope. But Milner saw something else in that regard which impressed him as he watched from the substitutes’ bench.
James Milner said: “It was pleasing to put in a performance like that, although there are still things to work on. Evan set the tempo early on. He closed down and blocked a ball going forward. That might seem a minor thing looking at the game overall, but it sets a tempo. It shows his intent without the ball. And anyone who knows him so far in his young career, he is an unbelievable finisher. He is a goalscorer. And when he is doing the ugly side of the game too and being the first line of defence, he was outstanding. He is still so young but what a player for us and the ceiling is very high for him.”
Ferguson snapped up a rebound for his first, then curled home from outside the box before seeing this third ricochet in of Fabian Schar.
James Milner said: “The first one – that was the sign of a goalscorer. That natural movement in the box, sniffing it out the chances in the box, being on the move expecting a slip. He scores all types of goals and it’s up to us to keep his feet on the ground and keep driving him and keep pushing him. The manager is on him hard as well, because he knows how good he can be and wants him to improve. He is a great lad with a great attitude and he can only get better. For the second one, they almost offered him a chance to put it in the corner – and he did! The more he scores like that, he might get closed down a bit quicker. But it was a great and clam finish, and another finish of a goalscorer.”
Around the interview area on Saturday evening, anyone from the Albion side who put himself forward for questions was being asked the same thing. Who does Ferguson remind you of? Who would you compare him to? Roberto De Zerbi saw some likenesses to Christin Vieri. Pascal Gross was not willing to offer a comparison. Milner has been around far too long to be tempted into mentioning any names as he spoke about an 18-year-old still some way short of the first anniversary of his first Prem goal.
James Milner said: “I don’t really want to compare him to anyone because as soon as I do that it puts pressure on him. I want to make sure his head doesn’t get too big! But he’s a top talent and has started his career fantastically well. Hopefully he has a long one ahead doing the same thing. When you compare him to other players, that puts more pressure on him than we need to at this moment. He is at a fantastic place right now with great players around him, a great bunch of lads that will push and support him, and a manager that wants him to prove all aspects of his game.”
Amid the exciting group of young players, De Zerbi has also assembled a lot of experience. And experience of good things. Success. Doing things the right way.
James Milner said: “When I was a young player (at Leeds United) it was the likes of David Batty and Dom Matteo that kept my feet on the ground. Very old school, probably more than now although I still have a bit of that old school in me. “There are no tea cups being thrown around now. But now it is our job to push Evan and advise him. He will have ups and downs.”
Ferguson has already had his hiccups. A costly missed penalty for Republic of Ireland under-21s, a couple of injuries. Those injuries were, thankfully, not as bad as they first looked although the second, sustained at Chelsea, denied him a Wembley outing in the FA Cup semi-final. He appears to have taken those setbacks in a mature way and come back strongly. The glimpses we see on social media of him trading mickey-takes with Lewis Dunk suggest someone who is confident and comfortable in his surroundings. Milner likes what he sees from the set-up in general.
James Milner said: “I am learning a great deal from the manager. It’s great to be here, a great bunch of lads and the manager has such a passion for the game. He pushes you every day and wants maximum effort and concentration and attention to detail. That is massive and I am really enjoying it. I was excited to come here and you never stop learning, off players, the manager and coaching staff. It is a lot different from what I did for a long time under Jurgen Klopp and I am enjoying it immensely. It is exactly what I hoped for in this later stage of my career, to keep learning and improving and seeing different ways of playing.”
