Evan Ferguson has taken time this international break to look back at his stint in Italy so far. While life in Serie A hasnโt necessarily been easy, with the forward yet to hit the back of the net, the 20-year-old has still had plenty of positive experiences in the Italian capital.
The Irishman spoke to RTE about making the switch to Roma from Brighton, and just what some of the differences are between Italian football and the Premier League.
โThe end of last season was difficult,โ He began pensively, via ForzaRoma.
โI thought about it and decided I wanted to leave to try something new, since Iโd been in England for four or five years. Then Roma came along, and itโs hard to say no to a club like that. I knew it was a big club, but when you arrive, you really realise itโs much bigger than you think. The fans are crazy.โ
Regarding the contrasts between the leagues, Ferguson believes these start on the training pitches. โTraining is very different from England. You train more, and itโs much more intense. In Italy, rest days are very rare. Itโs almost like a celebration when you have a day off.โ
Although heโs five games into his loan spell with the Giallorossi without a goal, Ferguson remains intrigued by his new surroundings. Speaking of the in-game differences, the 24-cap Ireland striker continued.
โThe game is also different because itโs much more tactical. You almost always play man-to-man. Every week you face teams with different systems. In England, the teams just go back and forth, back and forthโฆ Itโs a nice change. Most of my teammates speak English too. Plus, the food in Italy is much better.โ
So, following a goalless loan stint with West Ham last season, is the young forward looking to have a McTominay-like rebirth? Does it feel good to leave the prying eyes of the Premier League?
On the topic, the ex-Brighton player said: โI donโt know, maybe itโs the lifestyle. In England, when something goes wrong, thatโs all they start talking about.โ
Ferguson made a bright start to life at Roma by assisting against Pisa and impressing against Bologna. He is yet to score but the next few weeks will give him the chance to get back into form.
ย
GIFNย |ย Max Bradfield
