That weighed heavily on the now 20-year-old, especially over the last two years, when his involvement in the Brighton first team waned due to ankle and ACL injuries, as well as the selection decisions of manager Fabian Hurzeler — less keen on Ferguson than Potter or Roberto De Zerbi were.
Potter handed Ferguson his first appearance for Brighton when he was just 17, and for a good few months the striker had to change in a different dressing room from the rest of the first team, because of safeguarding regulations.
Graham Potter would not be drawn into discussing whether West Ham might seek to sign Evan Ferguson on a permanent deal if his six-month loan from Brighton goes well.
He and the West Ham first team trained not at their Rush Green training ground but at the London Stadium on Thursday, as is the Hammers’ tradition for the final full training session before a first home game following the end of a transfer window.
Brighton ummed and ahhed before eventually letting Ferguson leave, with Hurzeler cognisant that the striker had endured “a frustrating 12 months” and now “really needs to be playing regularly”, acknowledging: “This loan gives him that opportunity, and under a manager he knows well.”.
