World Cup 2026: How Lewis Ferguson became Scotland’s most important player

Ferguson has come a long way since those days at Assis.

A successful spell at Aberdeen earned him a move to Serie A where he captained Bologna.

He now has four seasons in Italy and a Coppa Italia under his belt, so he’s not a left-field pick by any means. Having said that, he found it difficult to get international presence due to the plethora of talent in the squad.

However, misfortune can lead to opportunity. Billy Gilmour’s knee injury in last month’s friendly against Curacao created a void in Steve Clarke’s line-up as a player behind McTomin.

Ferguson played the role brilliantly.

Against Morocco, he managed to break the African line 15 times, the most of any Scotland player.

Amazingly, he threw 76 passes during the game. By comparison, the second highest was Chey Adams’ 35.

“The selfless bit, I enjoy it,” Ferguson told BBC Scotland. “I am representing my country – I will play any role.

“I played it a lot when I was younger. The manager has found a role that suits me.

“You do a lot of dirty work – covering ground, protecting guys behind you, feeding guys in front of you. Tackles, duels – that’s part of my game. It’s huge in the team.

“The games have been pretty physical and I’ve enjoyed that.”