Kylian Mbappe praises Brighton striker Evan Ferguson ahead of Ireland clash

France national team captain Kylian Mbappe has praised Brighton & Hove Albion striker Evan Ferguson ahead of their upcoming international clash.

France will face the Republic of Ireland as they both seek to qualify for the 2024 European Championship in Germany. Mbappe urged his side to be wary of the young striker.

Ferguson recently made his international debut against Latvia and marked the occasion with a goal. The 18-year-old striker has been impressively establishing himself in grown men’s football.

He has produced some impressive performances for the Seagulls this season, bagging three goals and two assists in ten Premier League appearances.

Ferguson has netted one goal in the League Cup and another three in the FA Cup this season. His exploits have not gone unnoticed, with Chelsea and Arsenal monitoring his situation.

New France captain Mbappe said Les Bleus had seen the centre-forward in action.

“We watched some of his plays,” Mbappe said (via RMC Sport). “He is a very good striker. We will be very wary of him. Hopefully, we will not see him much.”

The Paris Saint-Germain forward called Ireland a combative team and urged France to prepare for the physical battle. The Irish team will have the support of home fans at the Aviva Stadium.

“They are a team who play with three at the back,” he added. W”e tend to think that they are a combative team. We will need to be careful but also attack-minded and aggressive.”

Mbappe said he expected an exciting game, praising the Stephen Kenny-led side. The 24-year-old is settling into his role as captain after coach Didier Deschamps chose him this week.

The former AS Monaco man marked his debut as captain with a brace against the Netherlands. Assistant captain Antoine Griezmann also scored in the 4-0 victory.

Mbappe said Griezmann was disappointed at missing out on the captaincy. However, they have put the issue behind them and hope to work together towards success.