Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Alamy Stock Photo Freefirst impression Roma boss praises Ferguson's 'important qualities' after encouraging debut Ferguson played the majority of Roma’s opening-day victory over Bologna. 3.56pm, 24 Aug 2025 Share options ROMA MANAGER GIAN Piero Gasperini praised Evan Ferguson’s full debut for the Giallorossi in their 1-0 opening-day Serie A victory over Bologna last night. New Brazilian signing Wesley scored the only goal of the game at the Stadio Olimpico, but Ferguson looked sharp across a 73-minute appearance. Ferguson did not score, but his three shots was the most he has registered in any game since Ireland’s 1-0 home win against Finland last November, and his highest number in a club league game in almost 18 months, since Brighton’s 3-0 loss to Fulham on 2 March, 2024. He should also have had an assist, but his clever dinked cross to the back post was ruined by a desperate close-range finish by Manu Kone. Advertisement Ferguson was replaced for the final 17 minutes by Ukraine striker Artem Dobvyk, which marks his longest spell on the pitch in a single club game since he played all 90 minutes of Brighton’s EFL Cup tie against Liverpool on 30 October last year. (He has twice exceeded that 73-minute total for Ireland in that time). “He played a great game, and his condition is improving”, said Gasperini of Ferguson. “He played very little last year, and needs to get used to it, but tonight he showed some important qualities for us. He has a lot of potential and will give us great satisfaction in the long run.” Gasperini also praised Ferguson’s defensive work-rate, when speaking to Sky Italia about the game in general. “I want to applaud my players”, he said. “It was the first match, things on the pitch can’t be precise but we started off with the right attitude against a difficult team that did very well. This gives us a lot of motivation.” “The new signings? We’re talking about very young players with huge potential. Tonight they’ve already given a great demonstration of their value, along with the team, which is compact.” “I’d seen it in preseason, especially abroad, where it’s not easy to play in packed stadiums. Tonight against a strong Bologna, we showed a lot of great things. The fact that the fans appreciated it is very nice.” Gavin Cooney Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Roma boss praises Ferguson's 'important qualities' after encouraging debut ”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Roma boss praises Ferguson's 'important qualities' after encouraging debut ”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. Damaging the good reputation of someone, slander, or libel. Racism or Hate speech An attack on an individual or group based on religion, race, gender, or beliefs. 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