Evan Ferguson admits he "lost a bit of confidence" during his goal drought in 2024 but insists he is "in a good place, physically and mentally" at the halfway point in his first season with Roma in Serie A.
After a patchy start to life in the Italian capital, where he was subject to public criticism by his manager Gian Piero Gasperini, the Republic of Ireland striker appears to have recently turned a corner.
Having finally opened his Serie A account away to Cremonese in late November, Ferguson followed up with an impressive double away to Celtic in the Europa League.
In recent weeks, the 21-year-old added to his league tally with goals against Genoa and Lecce.
The last couple of months have represented an uptick in form for Ferguson, who had a spectacular first year in the Premier League, scoring 12 goals for Brighton as an 18-year old before his momentum was derailed, initially by injury.
A long lean spell followed, which included a failed loan move to West Ham, which didn't yield a single goal.
"I've had some difficult times," Ferguson told the Sportbible website.
"I wanted to get back to myself at Roma and get back to scoring goals. I just want to have a smile on my face and enjoy it all.
"Listen, football is not an easy game. I came in, started off really well and then had a few injuries. I stopped playing and sort of lost myself. I lost a bit of confidence.
"It's a difficult place to be in when you've gone from the highest of highs to experiencing those low points. I went from the highest to the lowest.
"I've learned a lot in the past two years or so about myself, both on and off the pitch.
"At the end of the day, you're the only person who can make it happen. There's a lot of outside noise, but you can't really pay too much attention to that."
Historically, the switch to Serie A has proven a sharp culture shock for players accustomed to the rhythms of the English league. Ferguson acknowledged he was no different in that respect.
"It's a completely different league with different play styles," he said.
"I think when you come over, people expect things to happen straight away, but it just doesn’t work like that.
"It has taken some time. There have been ups and downs, but now I’d say I’m pretty settled. I’m in a good place physically and mentally, and know where my head’s at. I’m ready to build on what I’ve been doing so far."
Ferguson scored three goals in Ireland's tumultuous 2026 World Cup qualifying group, including vital goals at home to Hungary and Armenia, as well as in the near-fatal loss in Yerevan in September.
However, he was injured for the extraordinary November international window, where wins over Portugal and Hungary propelled the nation into the playoffs and his erstwhile rival for the striker's position Troy Parrott wrote his name in lights.
Ferguson, who watched the win over Hungary in a bar in Rome, said of Parrott, "looking back, it was probably one of the best international campaigns anyone has ever had."
