Players to Watch in 23/24 season: Brighton teen striker Ferguson lives to score

On the eve of the 2023-24 season around Europe, it's time to ask: Who are we excited about watching this season? 

We've got together 10 of the finest brains from across Europe that we think you should keep an eye on in the upcoming campaign. These aren't the best 10 players in Europe, nor are they 10 you've never heard of. There are lots of young players in this list and each writer was to pick someone they are excited about in 2023-24. 

We will select two most noteworthy player in 2023/24 season every day. Read on to see who we've selected today.

Last season was a breakout one for Evan Ferguson.

Aged just 17, he scored and assisted in his first senior start for Brighton against Forest Green in the League Cup, and he never looked back.

That match against Forest Green was his only start under Graham Potter, but he would go on to appear 24 times (14 starts) from December onwards under the management of Roberto De Zerbi.

His next start wouldn’t come until January against Everton, but this time it was in the Premier League. Again, Ferguson scored and assisted. It was a start he had earned after a goalscoring substitute appearance against Arsenal, who were at the time Premier League leaders.

All told, Ferguson scored 10 times in 25 Brighton appearances in 2022-23 at a rate of 135 minutes per goal. Among players to score 10+ non-penalty goals for Premier League clubs in all competitions last season, only Erling Haaland and Roberto Firmino could better that rate. A reminder Ferguson started the campaign as a 17-year-old.

In his 15 starts for Brighton last term, he scored eight goals and assisted three more – including five goals in his most recent six starts. He managed that sort of record despite only completing 90 minutes twice all