In preparation for Monday's Euro qualifier in Dublin, the captain of the French national team, Kylian Mbappé, claims that his team has done research on Irish teenager Evan Ferguson because the Paris St. Germain star considers Ferguson to be a good player.
France won their first game of the qualifier round against the Netherlands with two goals from their captain Mbappe contributing to their 4-0 win. Mbappe who was recently named the captain of the French team has come out to praise the Irish player for his performance this season.
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Didier Deschamps, the French coach, has also identified Brighton man Ferguson as a threat to his side as France travels to Dublin, looking to build on their 4-0 win over the Netherlands on Friday night.
Ferguson hailed by Mbappe
If chosen to play against France, Ferguson will make his competitive debut for Ireland, while the French captain Mbappe, has his own objective of surpassing Michel Platini's record of 41 goals for his country.
Speaking in an interview about Ferguson, Mbappe said, “We saw some clips of him. It’s his first season as a striker, an important striker for that team. But we hope tomorrow that it is not good for him, we want to win and we want to do a good job. But he is a good player.
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"It’s true there are lots of different players in the Ireland team, if I think back to 2016, I remember we were losing 1-0 at half time, that was a round of 16 game, that was a difficult one. There is a new generation now with new players, Ferguson poses a threat, he is a good player, [Mikey] Johnston as well has joined the team, it is a mix of young and experienced players."
Deschamp praise Ferguson and Ireland's style of play
Ferguson will likely make his international debut in Ireland's opening qualifying encounter against France in Dublin. The French captain and coach have noticed how brilliantly the Brighton attacker has been playing for his club.
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Speaking in an interview, Deschamp said, “It’s true that I think Ireland have this enthusiasm, this determination which is part of their football DNA but that is not everything, they also have quality, they are capable of playing on the ground.
You also have to mention the support they have that will push their team forward. I am expecting a high level match, but the same as Friday [against Holland], we want to win. They play a different system, this Ireland team, they like to play three at the back."
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