Lewis Ferguson dreams of another Hampden glory goal for Aberdeen v Celtic

This time last year, Lewis Ferguson hadn't even made his top flight debut for Hamilton Accies but the Aberdeen midfielder has a realistic chance of making his dreams come true by scoring the winner in Sunday's Betfred Cup final against Celtic.
Lewis Ferguson battles Rangers'  Umar Sadiq in the Betfred Cup semi-final at Hampden. Picture: Ian MacNicol/Getty ImagesLewis Ferguson battles Rangers'  Umar Sadiq in the Betfred Cup semi-final at Hampden. Picture: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
Lewis Ferguson battles Rangers' Umar Sadiq in the Betfred Cup semi-final at Hampden. Picture: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

The teenager frustrated his Rangers supporting family and friends with the goal which defeated Steven Gerrard’s side in last month’s semi-final and admits to fantasising about a repeat.​

Ferguson’s first start against a Premiership side was for Hamilton in a losing Scottish Cup tie at Fir Park last January, while 
Saturday’s return there for a league game with the Dons turned into a bit of a nightmare with a 3-0 thumping from Motherwell.​

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Not that Ferguson is unduly worried about that first defeat in five games for
Aberdeen as the Dons have yet to concede a goal in the Betfred Cup and the last round proved that neither he nor the team have anything to fear.​

He said:”That was a special moment for me and the team.

“Hopefully we can prepare well and go into the cup final in the same way as we did against Rangers.​

“Defensively were excellent in that match and I’m sure the defensive side of things will be good again.​

“We will just be looking for a spark up front whether it’s a ball through from Niall McGinn or a cross from Gary Mackay-Steven I’m just dreaming about scoring the winner.​

“My brothers and my pals always ask me if I get nervous before these games but I don’t feel anything like that as I just see it as a game of football. I just go out and do my best and I’m not fazed by the atmosphere or the big stage. I just relax and don’t really think of it too much. ​

“It makes me want to do better against the big name players and show that I’m just as good a player as them.”​

The 19-year-old, signed for a compensation fee of £250,000 decided by a tribunal in the summer, did not have to look far for inspiration, with dad Derek and uncle Barry both previously stars at Ibrox. ​

But he revealed that it was an attacking midfielder who played in the blue of Chelsea that was the biggest influence on his playing style.​

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Ferguson added:”I watched a lot of Frank Lampard when he played as, since I was a wee boy, I always wanted to be that sort of box-to-box midfielder.

“The way he would arrive late and score lots of goals was what I liked and I tried to take some of the things that he did on board.​

“That was the player that I really looked up to when he was doing so well at Chelsea to see his timing of the runs forward.​

“He had it all as he could get about the pitch, get up and down all day and was a great finisher as well.​

“Lampard scored loads of goals and that is the sort of player that I’ve aspired to be since I was a youngster.​

“But the gaffer is always on to me in training that I need to score more goals because the only one before the semi-final then Kilmarnock was against Burnley in July.​

“I probably do need to score more but I have been playing deeper recently and when I do get the chance to break forward I think I’ve got goals in my game.”​