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Ireland's Evan Ferguson fourth 18-year-old ever to score a Premier League hat-trick

Ireland's Evan Ferguson fourth 18-year-old ever to score a Premier League hat-trick
Evan Ferguson, © PA Wire/PA Images

Republic of Ireland international Evan Ferguson became only the fourth 18-year-old to score a Premier League hat-trick.

He fired Brighton to a 3-1 win over Newcastle on Saturday and will now lead the line for the Republic of Ireland against France in Thursday's European Championship qualifier.

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Ferguson has scored 10 goals in 23 top-flight games for the Seagulls.

He wasn't the only player to score a hat-trick on Saturday as Manchester City's Erling Haaland and Tottenham captain Son Heung-min were also on top form.

Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler, and the late Chris Bart-Williams are the only other players to hit a Premier League hat-trick at Ferguson's age.

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He's also the fourth Irish player to score a hat-trick in the Premier League after Leon Best, Robbie Keane, and Jon Walters.

He says he's just trying to let it all sink in.

"It's only fresh so it's hard to take in but obviously it's an unbelievable feeling like.

As a kid, I think as a striker you wanna grow up and score as many goals as you can in the Premier League and when you get a hat-trick it's a good day."

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He says he had plenty of support from his ex-footballer father, Barry.

"He was one of them that'd be standing in the corner on the sideline with his jacket and his hood up, you know what I mean,  saying nothing.

But I think that helped me because if I did need anything, I could go over and talk to him and he'd know what he was talking about but he wouldn't ever put any pressure on me."

Brighton are up to fourth in the Premier League table with three wins from four games.

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