I’m feeling better than ever as World Cup gets closer
Midfielder LEWIS FERGUSON is thrilled to be shipshape, but reveals why that’s a double-edged sword for Scottish football
Lewis Ferguson says he will line up against Celtic this week sharper and in better shape than at any point in his career.
Yet, if that is ominous for Martin O’neill whose side face Bologna in the Europa League, it will be heartening for Scotland coach Steve Clarke as the countdown to the World Cup continues.
The midfielder is frank about how much playing at the finals means to him after missing Euro 2024 and he is bullish about the country’s chances of making it past the group stages for the first time ever.
“I am so excited,” said the 26-yearold. “Ever since we qualified, it has always been in the back of my mind. “We were never going to get an easy group and the one we have got is difficult but to have Brazil in the mix is really nice.
“We look forward to the games and will prepare as best we can. “Qualifying was such a great experience and now it is time to prepare and to go there and try to go that one stage further.
“Are we capable of getting out of the group? Yes, of course we are.
“When I look at the group, it is obviously really difficult, but this team are more than good enough to do so.
“We have the quality in the squad. We have such a tight-knit group, great experience, high quality and
Are we capable of getting out of the group? Yes, of course. This team are more than good enough
great character. We have been together for such a long time, and we are a confident group.
“We have not set any targets yet for the group, but we have not been together since the Denmark game. “We will prepare as well as we possibly can, I am absolutely sure of that.
“The staff will have us well drilled and well looked after and we will be going there to get positive results.
“If that gets us out of the group, then that is great. Everyone is really positive and it is great for the country.”
Ferguson is convinced the finals will fall at a perfect time for him in terms of his development as a player. “I feel a lot more experienced now,” said the man who captained Bologna to Coppa Italia glory last summer. “I have been playing regularly in Serie A for a few years now and this year started to play more consistently with Scotland.
“Over the course of the qualifying campaign, I played a really big part. I am so proud of that and feel as ready as I have ever been.
“So here is hoping I can stay fit and be good to go in the summer.” On the immediate horizon, meantime, is Thursday’s European tie and his first run out against Celtic since he came out on the wrong side of a five-goal thriller playing for Aberdeen at Pittodrie in February 2022.
“I remember my goal. It was a header from a free-kick from a wide area. That sticks in my memory,” said the Scot. “I think it was to make it 2-2 but Jota scored a late goal against us for them to win it 3-2. “Late goals against us happened quite a lot against Celtic.”
Drama – of all sorts – is something that has not been lacking in the Glasgow club’s current campaign.
“I watch a lot of Scottish football. Whenever I am at home and there is a game on the TV then I will watch it, so I keep up with events,” said Ferguson.
“Celtic did not start the season the way they would have liked under Brendan Rodgers and they figured it was time for change. “Brendan did an incredible job over his time at Celtic but, at the end, for whatever reasons, they were not performing to the levels they expect. “They are a big club and when they decide it is time to change, when performances are not there, then that is what happens.
“Then Martin O’neill (pictured) came back on an interim basis and I thought they were good. He is such an experienced manager – he has been there and done it all.
“He is one of Celtic’s most successful managers and, as such, he knows the club so well. Winning seven out of eight games in that period is impressive.
“After that it was Wilfried Nancy and it was a bit crazy because he only lasted 33 days. He did not hit the levels that a club like Celtic would expect.
“It is difficult coming from a different league and a different country and then coming under the pressure of being at a big club in Scotland where the spotlight is really on you.
“At either side of the Old Firm, the pressure is massive and the demand to succeed is always there. “When you get off to such a bad start, it is so hard. And, for a club like Celtic, where the expectations are so high, losing six out of eight games is not good enough.
“They decided they had made a mistake and it was time to change again, which is fair enough. If it is not working, then it is not working. “Unfortunately, that is how football goes nowadays. There is not any time to implement things. Especially at a club like Celtic, it is win first and everything else comes after that.
“It must have been tough for Nancy, but they have changed again and, as I say, Martin is a safe pair of hands.
“He knows how to get the best out of the players, so we will be expecting a really tough game.” Ferguson, meanwhile, revealed he has been keeping close tabs on the club where it all began for him, Hamilton Accies.
The Lanarkshire club have lurched from one crisis to another in recent times and are now facing a potential insolvency event if they do not repay the company they used last year to cover staff and player salaries. “Hamilton is my hometown and, as an ex-accies player, having come through their academy, I do have an affection for the club.
“I am always looking out for their results and hoping they are doing well.
“To see what was happening over the past few years has been quite sad as it has been a bit of a disaster really. “I do not know too much of what has gone on behind the scenes, but it does not look good, and I am hoping this can be a fresh start.
“That the new owners will bring stability and that they can build themselves back up to where they used to be because it is a great football club.
“There are so many good people there and it was where I learned my football values.”