Evan Ferguson

Evan Ferguson was born in Drogheda in 2004 — the son of a professional footballer — and it quickly became clear that football was in the blood. He made his senior debut at Bohemians at 14, signed for Brighton at 16, and by his first full season in the Premier League had scored a hat-trick against Newcastle United and become Brighton's youngest league goalscorer.

Alan Shearer described Ferguson as having "left foot, right foot, headers, pace, aggression, intuition — there is no obvious weakness to his game." For a player still in his teens when those words were written, it speaks to exceptional natural gifts. He is a physically imposing striker who combines the aerial presence of an old-fashioned number nine with the technical quality of a modern forward.

A senior Republic of Ireland international since his teens, Ferguson joined Roma on loan from Brighton with a €40 million purchase option. He arrives with a point to prove after a difficult loan at West Ham, and there is every reason to believe Roma's style could bring out the best in a striker of his talents.