EVAN FERGUSON has been compared to a "young Alan Shearer" after his stunning hat-trick against Newcastle.
The Irishman netted all three goals as the Seagulls came out on top against the Magpies at the Amex Stadium on Saturday.
Ferguson's first goal showed his goalscoring instincts as he latched onto a loose ball in the box to slam home after Nick Pope fumbled a shot from Billy Gilmour.
The striker's second goal was the pick of the bunch as he curled home from 30 yards.
The 18-year-old did get some luck to complete his hat-trick as Fabian Schar's lacklustre defending saw him deflect Ferguson's effort past Pope.
His performance has caught the eye of many, including former Premier League striker Chris Sutton.
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Sutton, 50, hailed Ferguson's finishing and physicality and admitted that it reminded him of former Blackburn team-mate Shearer.
He wrote in the Daily Mail: "He reminds me of a young Alan Shearer. That’s what I see when I look at Evan Ferguson.
"I had the best seat in the house to watch Alan score a bundle of goals for Blackburn. The natural feel to his finishing, his physicality, his positioning.
"Ferguson is only 18, but already he is displaying the attributes that made Alan a total menace for Premier League defenders."
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Shearer is the Premier League leading goalscoring in the competition's history, with 260 goals.
Ferguson has already netted ten times in the league having only made 26 appearances.
Sutton also thinks that if the Irish international – who could still switch to England – continues his current development, then he could surpass the £115million transfer Brighton made to sell Moises Caicedo to Chelsea this summer.
He added: "I’m sure Ferguson won’t let these headlines go to his head. He seems like a good character who will stay humble and keep working hard.
"He will know he’s got a long way to go if he wants to keep being compared to someone such as Alan Shearer for the remainder of his career.
"He might end up as the biggest Brighton transfer yet — and they got £115million for Moises Caicedo."
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