Bologna midfielder Lewis Ferguson says he remains open to future transfer opportunities while continuing to consult his father, former Scotland international Derek Ferguson. The midfielder has completed four years with the Serie A side and has two years left on his contract, alongside an option for a third year.
Ferguson explained that while he feels at home in Italy, he will listen whenever new opportunities arise. He noted that transfer links back home have circulated in every window since he was 18 or 19 years old, but he prefers to stay calm until concrete interest develops.
The player's father, Derek Ferguson, was sitting in sweltering heat last Saturday at Bologna's Niccolo Galli Technical Centre to watch his son prepare for the new Serie A season in a closed-doors friendly against recently-relegated Pisa. Two football executives sat nearby, with one stating in an American drawl that Ferguson should be going to Rangers.
The two executives were Pisa owner and billionaire business leader Alexander Knaster and sporting director Leonardo Gabbanini. Derek Ferguson refrained from commenting, having been warned not to shout from the sidelines or get involved.
"I was gonna say something," Derek Ferguson said. "But I thought, just zip it, just sit there and then Lewis came over with a bottle of water for me cos it was roasting. These guys obviously knew him and the three of them got chatting."
Lewis Ferguson recalled that Gabbanini had previously tried to sign him for Watford from Aberdeen when working as chief scout, though all previous discussions had taken place over the phone. "It was quite funny because the sporting director used to be the chief scout at Watford," Lewis Ferguson said. "I'd obviously never seen him face to face."
Regarding his father's touchline behavior, Lewis Ferguson added: "I wasn't so worried about him at a closed-doors game because I think he would keep his mouth shut. Obviously I've never seen him in action in a stadium because I'm on the pitch. Just so long as he's not going over the top that's okay with me!"
Life in Bologna and family ties
Derek Ferguson emphasized that he attends games purely as a supporter. "I'm there as a fan," he said. "It's a great thing for me because I can let go a wee bit and I can enjoy it, supporting him and supporting Bologna. Being there at the game, I'm excited. I love the atmosphere."
The pair spoke from Lewis Ferguson's home in the San Luca area of Bologna, situated halfway up a hill overlooking the Renato Dall'Ara stadium. "Everytime I'm in the ground, it's a strange feeling, an amazing feeling, it's almost religious, I love it," Derek Ferguson said.
Lewis Ferguson lives in Italy with his wife Lauren and their daughters, three-year-old Lake and one-year-old Lorena. Lake attends an international nursery in Bologna and is becoming bilingual.
Recalling a trip back to Scotland before the World Cup, Lewis Ferguson shared how his daughter mixed languages at a playground. "She was playing on a climbing frame with the other wee kids and, at one point, she was hanging off the side," he said. "She shouted for help but she did it in Italian. 'Auito' she was saying and I told her nobody was going to understand what she meant. When she counts to ten, part of it's in English and some of the numbers are in Italian."
When Lewis Ferguson left Aberdeen four years ago, other Italian teams showed interest. Derek Ferguson had encouraged him to look at those options, but Lewis chose Bologna on a gut feeling, kicking off the club's most successful stretch in a long time.
Derek Ferguson, who played for Rangers and Hearts and won two caps for Scotland, remains a central figure in his son's career decisions. "I'll always ask his opinion," Lewis Ferguson said. "I'll always ask his advice, whether I agree with it or not. Football things in general, I'll run it by him. There have been some times when he's told me one thing and I disagree and go the other way but I always want to know what he thinks. He's had his own football career and he's been through it all. He's kept me on the right path so I'll always pick his brains."
Reflecting on Scotland World Cup campaign
Reflecting on Scotland's recent World Cup campaign in the United States, Lewis Ferguson called the experience bittersweet. Although regarded as one of Scotland's standout performers, he expressed regret that the team failed to advance past the group stage in the country's first World Cup appearance since 1998.
"When I think back now it feels bittersweet," Lewis Ferguson said. "It was absolutely amazing, the experience, I loved every minute of it. Being with that squad, that group of players and staff every single day. You're with them all, literally 24/7 for a month or so and the amount of laughs and good times we had together. All the stuff on the training pitch and in the games I absolutely loved although two of them never went our way."
He continued: "So, in terms of the experience and the whole organisation of everything, it was amazing but it's just the feeling we could've done more. There's a wee bit of regret there, a wee bit of bitterness that I feel we didn't quite show the best version of ourselves and I would have just loved for us to be able to continue and get through to the next round."
Despite the pressure surrounding the expanded 32-team format, Ferguson insisted the expectation came from within the dressing room rather than outside sources. "If you asked any of the players before any of the preparations, before any of the games, if you were to look at who we had in the squad, you would reckon we had a chance," he said. "We expect a lot of ourselves, we put the pressure on ourselves to do that because, when you look around the dressing room and you see the quality we've got, that sort of team spirit that's unmatched, I expected us to get through the group."
Evaluating future career steps
Looking ahead, Derek Ferguson noted that his son will turn 27 in a week or so and predicted he could play into his late thirties due to his tactical versatility. "So it's about looking out there for different challenges and that's what I love about him," Derek Ferguson said. "I'll say one thing and he'll take it on board but if he thinks he should go in the other direction that's what he'll do. He's strong minded."
Lewis Ferguson remains relaxed about his future at Bologna, where he feels appreciated after four successful years. "I feel like when I moved here it was the perfect step in my career," he said. "The last four years, what Bologna's given me has been immense and I feel as if I've given that back to the club as well."
He added: "It's been fantastic so, if I was to stay, great and, if I was to move on to a new challenge, again great. It would be a different experience and you have to do it all again which is all part of football. What's said in the media is fine but it's never going to affect me or what I do. I never want to waste my energy on reading something that might not be true. I prefer to stay calm and let it fly over my head. The only time I start to think about it is when there's something concrete and there's real interest."
Derek Ferguson concluded that he is enjoying his son's journey: "He's very driven. He knows where he wants to go and I'm just enjoying the journey."
