Republic of Ireland assistant coach John O'Shea says local fans should be excited about Brighton striker Evan Ferguson.

O'Shea insists there shouldn't be an issue with expectations being raised around the teen.

“To be able to do what he is doing in the Premier League for Brighton tells you he is a special talent," said O'Shea to the Sunday World.

“It's pretty clear that if he is getting picked to play in the biggest league of them all and getting picked to play for Ireland at his age, then he must be a very good player.

“Obviously, we don't want to get carried away but his performance levels and the consistency he has shown means people will inevitably get excited about Evan and there is nothing wrong with that.

“Ireland fans are thrilled to see a young lad playing so well in the Premier League and rightly so, because this is what we want to see more of.

“When you see the skill Evan has and combine that with the physical attributes, it is very exciting to see where he can take it."