Lewis Ferguson, the AC Milan WhatsApp chat with ex-Rangers man, and the Scotland midfield quandary

Mark Hateley is on a group WhatsApp chat with Paolo Maldini and so he knows that Lewis Ferguson is – or at least was – on AC Milan’s radar.

The Italian legend whose name is synonymous with the club made a surprise departure from Milan, where he was technical director, at the end of last week. The revelation from Hateley that his former teammate is a fan of Ferguson might therefore not be of much consequence in terms of a mooted move to the Rossoneri.

But even if Milan are no longer interested, there are bound to be others monitoring his form. Aberdeen are no doubt rubbing their hands, since they are due to land a windfall from any future transfer of a player they sold to Bologna for around £3 million last summer. It was further evidence that Scottish football has been identified as a fertile hunting ground by Serie A clubs.

Bologna in particular are reaping the benefits after moving smartly to sign Aaron Hickey from Hearts for around £1.5m when he was just 18-years-old before selling him again to Brentford for a huge fee of £15m. They seem set to make another huge profit when Ferguson moves on.

Lewis Ferguson in action for Bologna during a match against Juventus at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara on April 30. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Scotland manager Steve Clarke might prefer the player stays where he is after such a successful first season in Serie A. Ferguson crowned this debut campaign with an artfully cushioned goal that has also happened to be the winner, in six minutes’ added time no less, on the final day of the season against Lecce last weekend.

It was the Scot’s seventh goal of the season – only one Scot, Denis Law, has struck more times in a single season in Serie A – and his third in three successive games. Even a No 9 such as Hateley, who struck 17 league goals in 66 matches for Milan, would be happy with that strike rate.

Now the former Rangers striker has urged Ferguson to take the step up on the international front, although there’s only so much the midfielder can do. Some might even argue he’s already done enough to warrant a place in the Scotland midfield – or even just behind the striker, whether it is Lyndon Dykes or someone else – ahead of the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against Norway and Georgia.

The trouble for Ferguson is that so many of the current midfield options are so well established. With Billy Gilmour having enjoyed some belated playing time with Brighton and Hove Albion, there are in-form rivals competing for places, which could mean Ferguson – who has six caps to date – playing in a role further forward. It’s a satisfying dilemma for Clarke to have.

Lewis Ferguson before Scotland's Euro 2024 qualifier against Cyprus at Hampden in March. (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group)

“Scotland have a very good midfield at the moment and he is getting time off the bench, but it will eventually happen for him,” said Hateley. “I think it will be sooner rather than later because the quality of the training he is getting and the way it has improved him will be clear to everybody in the Scotland set-up, including the manager.

“I hope they are going over to Italy to see how he trains over there and not just in matches, because it’s the intensity of the training that is making him the player he is becoming.”

Hateley is certainly well qualified to speak having moved to Italy at a similar age to Ferguson in 1984, when he signed for AC Milan from Portsmouth, then in the English second tier. He quickly became a hero when scoring the winner with a towering header in the Milan derby to secure Milan's first victory over Internazionale since the 1978/9 season. Hateley remains well thought of in Milan circles.

"I am on a group chat with Paolo Maldini, and believe me, those sort of people are aware of Lewis Ferguson and how well he is playing," said Hateley. "They are football people and they are all over everything, so being linked with those clubs in Italy is not a surprise to me.”

Hateley departed for Monaco in 1987 where he enjoyed another successful adventure in a new league. He applauds Ferguson's decision to leave the comforts of home and advised the 23-year-old to keep on challenging himself.

“I stayed away for six years and I went to Italy and France to learn two different styles of play," he said. "I wouldn’t be surprised if Lewis went on to play in a different country to continue learning the game to experience yet another culture.

“Certainly, my advice to him would be to stay away from Scotland or England for at least that length of time. Keep learning and broadening his horizons and if he wants to come back, do it when he’s 27 or 28. By then, he’ll have more or less fulfilled what Europe can offer.”

Hateley believes Scottish football will benefit from players such as Ferguson trying something new. Josh Doig is another who made the switch from the Scottish Premiership to Serie A, although his current club, Hellas Verona, have just been relegated. Promoted Genoa are reportedly showing an interest in the full back. Liam Henderson, meanwhile, is an established member of the Empoli side and has plied his trade in Italy since 2018.

“If you get the opportunity to go abroad as a young player, you should jump at it,” said Hateley. “I’ve always believed that not every Scottish player has the ability or the game to play Scottish football. By that, I mean they might be more suited to playing French football, Italian football, German, Spanish, Dutch or whatever. We are not all the same.

“It’s the same for a French, Italian or German lad - they might be more suited to playing our football than the style in their own country. You have to go and find a place where you fit in. You don’t have to be a round peg in a square hole.

“When you make the decision to come out of your comfort zone, you become more attentive in training and in matches. You are more nervous because you are doing something that is not comfortable to you and you become broader for the experience.”