Resilient Lewis Ferguson helped by Disneyland as he deals with 3 new coaches, Rangers transfer talk and dad

The past few months have come at the Scotland midfielder thick and fast, be it playing at a World Cup for the first time, dealing with intense speculation on his club future, having to impress three different head coaches - or taking his children around Disneyland.

Speaking to Ferguson, the distraction of Mickey Mouse and rollercoasters was no doubt welcome, especially with his phone becoming red hot with pals asking if he was joining Rangers.

After being one of Scotland’s few success stories at this summer’s World Cup, Ferguson took his family to Florida as stories started to surface that he was closing in on a move to Rangers, his boyhood club. After a frustrating season dipping in and out of the Bologna first team, the 27-year-old openly admits he was considering his future with the Italian side.

A conversation with Bologna’s new head coach Domenico Tedesco reassured Ferguson that he would be part of the first team in the 2026/27 campaign. Tedesco was true to his word but with I Rossoblu having not won a league match so far, he was ejected last week and replaced by Raffaele Palladino. Ferguson hasn’t even met his new club gaffer yet.

All this comes at a time where his national team are embarking on a brave new world under Sebastien Pocognoli, with Ferguson integral to his plans.

Fortunately, the impressive Ferguson has a mature outlook on it all. Being released by Rangers as a kid, moving to Italy when he was 23 and missing the European Championships due to injury have all made him stronger - or in his own words, “resilient”. He is the sort of character well equipped for dealing with adversity.

"I know what I've got out there,” Ferguson said of Bologna. “I know I'm settled and my family's happy. And then they weren't willing for me to leave. I said that I had a long think about it, and I was kind of doubting a wee bit my future, I didn't know where I was going to be. But then I obviously spoke to them, and we had a new manager at the time so I spoke to him and he reassured me that I was going to be an important figure for him moving forward.

"I had really positive chats with him, I got a really good feel off him. And then obviously, I went back in and met him face to face and we had a really good relationship. So that just sort of confirmed it that I thought I still want to be here.

“It has been my home for the last four years. We've played at such a high level. We've won the Coppa Italia, we've played Europa League, got to the quarter-finals, played Champions League. So it's been an amazing four years, not just for me, for the club in general. I've loved every minute of it. I absolutely love the club.”

Disneyland proves big transfer distraction

It put to bed any hope from Rangers that Ferguson could become a marquee summer signing. There is no doubt landing the former Aberdeen man would be a coup, as he has been on the long-term radar of many bigger clubs in Europe. But given Ferguson’s open love of his boyhood club, the speculation took weeks to die down.

"Aye, but it is what it is,” said Ferguson when asked if he was given food for thought. “There was a little bit of interest but it's always blown up because it's me. I think because of the connections, if it was any other player, it would be sort of brushed to the side, but it's always been the case with me. I'm pretty used to it by now.

"I was in Disneyland with the kids so my phone was put away. And to be honest, I'm not the sort of person to go on and read it [speculation]. I got a lot of people asking me, of course, because if people see it, their first thought will be 'I'll phone or text Lewis and see what he's saying'. But it's the same answer from me every time. I just switched off after the World Cup. I stayed in America and was at Disneyland with the kids, so I had no time to be seeing any articles or anything online.”

Ferguson’s cause wasn’t helped by his father Derek, who was quick to discuss his son’s future on podcasts and radio shows. "I get annoyed with him every time he speaks!” smiled Ferguson. “I think sometimes he speaks without thinking - and I'm watching it and going 'oh no'. I just say to him every now and then, when I think he's said something that isn't right, I'll have a word with him. But that's it. We've got such a good relationship that I can phone him if I think he's said something.”

For the next week, full focus is on Scotland. After a 0-0 draw with Slovenia last weekend to open up the Pocognoli reign, Switzerland at Hampden comes next on Tuesday. Ferguson is likely to start after showing up well in Ljubljana.

“He wants me in the formation that we set up in the other day,” explained Ferguson of his role in a new-look Scotland team. “I was a little bit more deeper than the rest of the midfielders. We tweaked it a bit at half time, in terms of Billy [Gilmour] dropping back in and becoming a two.

“A little bit of everything; protecting the back three because we’re aggressive when we’ve not got the ball, covering distance and spaces, and the ball played forward as soon as we win it. And taking risk. That’s probably been his main talking points when we’ve had a conversation.”