Lewis Ferguson still believes. And, of all the players to wear a dark blue shirt in this World Cup finals, the Bologna captain has inspired more confidence than most.
The team’s best midfielder against Haiti and Morocco, Ferguson’s work rate, composure and physicality consistently catches the eye.
Both he and central defender Jack Hendry earned glowing reviews from manager Steve Clarke despite a 1-0 defeat. After his Scotland career began with a slow-burning fuse, Ferguson is catching fire now. He’s starting to cook.
A Copa Italia winner, the former Hamilton and Aberdeen player missed Euro 2024 after surgery on a long-term ACL injury.
A man set on making up for lost time, defeat to Morocco did nothing to shift his conviction that Scotland’s fight and resilience will ultimately secure their place in the last 32 of the World Cup finals. “What gives me the belief is that we will match absolutely anybody for team spirit,” he says.
“Of course there are other [more] talented players in this competition than the Scottish squad, but we'll be the last ones to give up on anything.
“That's just the sort of mentality that's within this group. We've got quality that means we can have a go at these big teams. I think we just showed that there (against Morocco).
“We took three points in the first game when there was a hell of a lot of pressure on us to get the job done, and I think performance today against the sixth-ranked side in the world can only give you confidence going into the Brazil game.
“Against Haiti we showed a different side to us in terms of digging in and holding onto a lead and being defensively sound and seeing a game out when there was a lot of pressure on us.
“Against Morocco we didn't start well at all, but the performance was really good in terms of taking the game to them and trying to create chances and be on the front foot and be aggressive and also be defensively sound apart from a couple of counter-attacks in the second half when we were throwing everything at them.”
Ask Steve Clarke to big up individuals in a post-match press conference, and he’ll point to the collective. It’s a team game, and Clarke prefers to focus on all 26 of his players rather than pick one out.
He broke that rule to praise Ferguson after the Haiti game, and he could hardly avoid doing it again after Morocco. Functioning as the holding player in a 4-1-4-1, he offers insurance to let the likes of Scott McTominay and Ryan Christie get forward. In theory, if not in practice.
Read more
-
John McGinn calls for World Cup 'attack' on Brazil, bemoans penalty no-call
-
What John McGinn was told by 'inconsistent' referee after penalty no-call
-
Upbeat Scotland star insists side can take 'confidence' from Morocco showing
“Lewis has been great for me since he got his start in the team,” purred Clarke. “It took a long time for that to open up for him.
“But he gives us something, that little bit of solidity in midfield. He is a great foil for people like McTominay and Christie, who try to give us the attacking element.”
A £20million target for Juventus before the injury of two years ago, Ferguson endured a difficult season with Bologna. Any internal concerns he might have harboured over his ability to get back to the level which attracted the interest of Italy’s top teams have now been set to the side. In the ‘28 Summers’ film put together by the Scottish FA, teammates spoke of Ferguson as the most important player in qualifying.
“I’m really happy,” he admits. “I feel really good physically. I feel really good within the team. I just want to show the best version of myself in a Scotland shirt.
“I think probably this qualification process for the World Cup was the time where I really felt I had the biggest input from myself in a Scotland shirt. I feel I've done pretty well and I just wanted to carry that momentum into these games here. We're on the world stage, everybody's watching, so you want to perform as best you can.
“I came into the squad when I was 20, 21. It's just the natural progression. You come in as a young player, and it’s a level up. I was at Aberdeen at the time when I got my first call up and my first cap. It's a level up when you go into training with these lads.
“We're talking about boys who are playing at the top level. It's just that natural progression in a Scotland shirt. It’s a path I felt I was getting to probably just before the Euros, and then I got injured so that set me back a wee bit.”
He prefers to look forward now. To Wednesday and the game against Brazil which caught the eye when the draw was made in December. While a game against the South Americans can hardly be described as a novelty - Scotland have faced them four times at the finals 0 it’s always an occasion.
“It's massive,” adds Ferguson. “I feel quite confident about it just because of the way we've played in the last couple of games. Although we lost against Morocco, I've still got a feeling of pride just about the way we've performed.
“It’s every kid's dream to pull on a Scotland shirt first and foremost. To go and represent your country at the World Cup is something I'll never forget. It's been so, so special. It's been a dream come true for me.
“To all the young kids, boys and girls, I was once one of them growing up and dreaming of playing for Scotland and in a World Cup, and here I am today.”
