He was the ‘next Declan Rice’, but is now 25 years old and has been without a club for 18 months
Ex-Crystal Palace and West Brom star Nathan Ferguson has gone yet another transfer window without finding a new permanent home.
The defender left Selhurst Park in 2024 at the end of his contract, four years after he had signed from the Baggies.
The 25-year-old trained with Portsmouth last season, and reportedly impressed, but the Championship ultimately decided against signing him permanently.
Both of Ferguson’s previous clubs have found themselves in difficult positions this season. West Brom are at risk of relegation from the Championship, amid huge issues at The Hawthorns.
And Palace are set to lose manager Oliver Glasner in the summer, as well as several key players.
What has happened to Nathan Ferguson?
Ferguson’s breakthrough in 2019 was stunning. The full-back was thrust into first-team action, and instantly looked at home.
Despite having spent his youth career playing in the centre of the defender, the Englishman thrived, and quickly was named among the most exciting young players in the Championship.
Speaking about him in 2019, then Baggies manager Slaven Bilic said: “Nathan is talented: he reminds me of Declan Rice. He is only 18 on paper but his head and mind is like he’s 25 or 27.
| Nathan Ferguson | Championship 2019-20 |
| Appearances | 21 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Successful dribbles | 31 |
| Tackles | 50 |
| Duels won | 144 |
“He’s a kid in a positive way in that he is not afraid to play. There is no doubt that he has an extremely bright future and a great career in front of him.”
With his contract set to end in 2020, West Brom moved to secure Ferguson’s future but it was too late. Palace and several other clubs had turned his head already.
Ahead of a proposed £11million move to the Premier League club in January, however, a serious knee injury was discovered.
The move broke down, but the teenager moved on a free transfer in the summer instead. The injury did not go away, however.
It was an issue so severe that Ferguson has been plagued by injuries ever since, playing just eight senior minutes over the course of his four-year contract at Palace.
Keith Andrews once lauded Ferguson
In 2019, Ferguson was named on an illustrious list of the best Championship prospects aged 22 or under by Sky Sports.
Among the other names were now England internationals Jude Bellingham, Eberechi Eze, Conor Gallagher, Jarrod Bowen, and Ben White.
Keith Andrews, now the manager of Brentford, was working as a pundit at the time and nominated Ferguson.
“I was there for his debut against Nottingham Forest,” he said. “You’re always wondering how someone that young is going to deal with first-team football and it was amazing, it was amazing to watch how easily he slotted in.”
Ferguson has managed to gain some return to fitness in recent years, but he will need a chance to get his career back on track.