'A big blow' - Virgil van Dijk praises 18-year-old wonderkid who turned down Liverpool after trial
Virgil van Dijk has heaped praise on Republic of Ireland hot-shot Evan Ferguson - despite the 18-year-old turning down the chance to join Liverpool in 2021.
Ferguson netted a hat-trick during Brighton & Hove Albion's defeat of Newcastle United last weekend, however, he suffered a knee injury in the closing stages of the game and was therefore ruled out of the Republic of Ireland's Euro 2024 qualifiers against France and Netherlands.
As a result, Van Dijk, who captained the Oranje to a 2-1 win on Sunday evening at the Aviva Stadium, was not tasked with facing the teenage striker, who has notched 16 goals in the Premier League since making his debut against Southampton last December.
And addressing the media ahead of Sunday's tie, which will be Van Dijk's last international commitment of the month before returning to Merseyside, the Liverpool captain said of Ferguson's abilities: "If you score a hat-trick just before the international break, then he was going to be full of confidence.
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“He looks like he is a promising striker for Ireland now and into the future. That is a big blow for them but whoever comes and plays tomorrow, we have to be ready to fight."
Had circumstances worked out differently for Ferguson, the 18-year-old striker could have perhaps been linking up with Van Dijk at the AXA Training Centre upon returning from international duty this week. That's because the Republic of Ireland prodigy trialled at Liverpool in 2020, as well as Manchester United, but ultimately decided to sign for the Seagulls in January 2021 due to believing in the path
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