Who is Scotland Midfielder Lewis Ferguson
Lewis Ferguson is one of the brightest Scottish footballers currently. He might not be a household name in England yet, like Premier League players such as John McGinn and Andrew Robertson, but the Bologna midfielder is making serious progress in Serie A. He played a leading role in their qualification for next year’s UEFA Champions League under the management of Thiago Motta and has attracted interest from the likes of Juventus, Napoli, and AC Milan.
A recent anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury has ruled the energetic midfielder out of Scotland’s Euro 2024 squad. This is devastating news for Ferguson, as he played in both friendlies for his country in the March international break against the Netherlands and Northern Ireland. He praised Scotland manager Steve Clarke for being classy in the aftermath of the injury he suffered against Monza in April 2024. Ferguson will be hoping that his rehabilitation programme goes smoothly and that he is back on the pitch at some point in the 2024/25 campaign.
Lewis Ferguson is related to Derek and Barry Ferguson, who both played for Rangers and the Scottish national team. He played for the Rangers academy for four years between 2009 and 2013, before he was released at 14. He then joined Hamilton Academical, where he eventually made his professional debut. After making 14 appearances for Hamilton, Ferguson signed a contract with Scottish Premiership side Aberdeen in 2018. The midfielder spent four years at the Dons, making 169 appearances. In that time, he scored 37 goals and registered 23 assists. In the 2019/20 season, he was awarded the Scottish Football Writers’ Association Young Player of the Year.
Ferguson was signed by Italian side Bologna in the summer of 2022 for a deal worth £3 million. This payment was split into £2.1 million up front, with an extra £900,000 in add-ons. In his first season for the Rossoblu, he made 33 appearances, scoring seven goals, including one against Napoli in May 2023. The Scot was a regular in Thiago Motta’s side, largely playing as an attacking midfielder. Ferguson was promoted to Bologna captain in October 2023 following more consistent showings under the former Inter Milan midfielder. He played a key role in helping the club qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in 60 years, before his injury in April 2024.
The ACL injury has ruled him out of Euro 2024, where he was set to play an important role for Clarke’s side, as his minutes were increasing for the national team. So far, Ferguson has made 12 appearances for Scotland, including two starts. The Bologna midfielder also played for Scotland Under 19s and Under 21s. He will be hoping that post-surgery, he will extend the number of caps he has made for the senior team and will be eyeing qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
Ferguson can play as a deep-lying midfielder, a number eight, and also as an attacking midfielder behind the striker. Throughout his career, he has largely played as a central midfielder, but in recent times, he has been deployed just behind the striker. In the 2023/24 campaign, Motta played Ferguson as an attacking midfielder 27 times in his 33 appearances for Bologna.
The goal threat that the Scotsman carries, as well as his work rate, has helped him transition to a higher position on the pitch at club level. He is versatile, though, and even played as a left-winger in the first game of the Serie A season against AC Milan. For Scotland, Clarke has played Ferguson in deeper and wider roles. In a friendly against France in October 2023, he played 90 minutes as a right-winger, while in the next international match a month later, he came on as a central midfielder in a 4-3-3 formation.
