How award-winning Lewis Ferguson rose to Serie A stardom and stats behind stark improvement at Bologna

The Scotland midfielder’s stock is continuing to rise after landing Bulgarelli Number 8 Award

Not many Scottish footballers can keep company with Xavi, Andrea Pirlo, Yaya Toure, Paul Pogba, Andres Iniesta, Daniele de Rossi and Nicolo Barella.

It is therefore a serious accolade for Lewis Ferguson to be named the winner of the Bulgarelli Number 8 Award, a prize given by the Italian Footballers’ Association for the best midfielder of the calendar year. He received his gong on Monday night from prestigious former Italy, England and Juventus manager Fabio Capello. Ferguson’s performances for Bologna this season have been exceptional. The Rossoblu are close to finishing in the top four of Serie A and reaching the Champions League.

Watching the 24-year-old pick up the award, there was a hint of sadness. Ferguson is on crutches, recovering from a cruciate knee ligament injury sustained last month against Monza that has ended his season prematurely. Not only is the Bologna captain unable to drive his club over the finishing line, he will miss out on being part of the Scotland squad for this summer’s European Championships. There had been talk of a big-money move to Juventus this summer, so high is his stock.

Lewis Ferguson has become a hugely influential player for Bologna.

Ferguson’s development and improvement since leaving Aberdeen for Emilia-Romagna in the summer of 2022 has followed a steady upward trajectory. A No 10 at Pittodrie who hit double figures in his final two seasons in the north-east, he was an aggressive attacking midfielder with a big engine. Bologna scouts had their interest initially piqued by those attributes but believed that the Hamilton Accies youth product could be coached into an more rounded, technical midfielder.

In the past two seasons, under the tutelage of former midfielder Thiago Motta at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, Ferguson has become increasingly important to Bologna. Motta deploys him mainly as a No 8 or a No 10 behind main striker Joshua Zirkzee, and there has been the occasional use as an inverted winger. He is the main link between the deep-lying playmaker Remo Freuler and the forward line, and is becoming an increasingly creative force in the team. In terms of raw stats, all the vitals have gone up from last season. He has provided more assists, his pass completion has risen from 86.1 per cent to 87.9 per cent, his long pass averages are up considerably from 37 to 49.1, his dribbling ratio sits at 52.2 from 47.9 and he has created 27 big chances in relation to 16 from the 2022/23 campaign.

Onlookers in Italy rightly point to the fact that Ferguson has benefitted from a general improvement across the team at Bologna. They finished ninth last season, a respectable finish, but some shrewd recruitment in key areas has made the team far more proficient. Riccardo Calafiori has solidified the defence and Bologna are the second-most miserly team in Serie A behind leaders Internazionale. Zirkzee and fellow forward Riccardo Orsolini have taken their own games to a higher level and as a result have made life easier for Ferguson. All three have good on-field chemistry.

Playing in Italy has made Ferguson more comfortable in possession and more adaptable tactically. Motta’s Bologna play with freedom and are fluid, switching from a 4-3-3 to a 4-2-3-1 to a 4-1-4-1 depending on the opponent and in-play scenario. It goes without saying that the Italian game is more technical and Ferguson has benefitted hugely from more time on the ball, unlike in Scotland where play is more rushed. But it is telling that Motta has demanded Ferguson not to curb his combative nature. He has been booked eight times this season – compared to four in 2022/23 – and has committed five more fouls across the campaign. Aerial duel and ground duel figures are up significantly from last term, +13 and +36 respectively. As well as being a creative force, he is also a physical one. Bologna are happy to mix it when the going gets tough and Ferguson is front and centre of that.

Ferguson has struck up a fine partnership with Joshua Zirkzee at Bologna.

In short, almost every attribute of Ferguson’s game has improved since moving to Bologna. Then there is the maturation of young player. He is the club captain, seen as a responsible leader of the team and a role-model. When he was injured, his team-mates paid tribute to him the very next match by holding up his shirt. He is extremely popular with the fans. Ferguson has been rewarded handsomely by deciding to take himself out of his comfort zone and embrace a different style of football.

It is therefore a desperate shame that Scotland will not be able to call upon his services in Germany – although whether he would even command a starting place is up for debate. Steve Clarke has capped Ferguson 12 times but only two of those have been starts, the most recent in a 4-1 loss to France. Midfield is clearly Scotland’s most competitive area of the pitch and he is vying for a spot alongside John McGinn, Scott McTominay, Callum McGregor, Billy Gilmour and Stuart Armstrong. There was some frustration among the Tartan Army when he was deployed in a deeper position against Northern Ireland than his now accustomed No 8/10 role. But Scotland play differently to Bologna, and one of Clarke’s big tasks post-Euros is to find a way to accommodate one of Serie A’s leading lights.

For now, Ferguson must recuperate, despite persistent stories about a move away from Bologna. “I never think about my future,” he said on Monday night. “I only think about what's happening now, and right now it means recovering from the injury. But I'm happy here, we've had a fantastic season and I feel good every day.” His summer may not have been what was hoped but there’s no doubt more highs are on the way for Ferguson.