Glasgow Rangers manager Philippe Clement has several young talents available to him this season. The question is, will any of them emerge as the next best thing at Ibrox?
Ross McCausland broke through into the senior side last term after a host of injuries to the senior wingers gave him a chance to shine.
Players such as Cole McKinnon, Bailey Rice and Zak Lovelace have all made their debuts for Rangers, but the trio will be aiming to make inroads as the season progresses.
There have been various youngsters who have come through the academy, only to be released before having the opportunity to make an appearance for the club. One example is Lewis Ferguson, who has gone from strength to strength since leaving the Gers.
What Lewis Ferguson did after leaving Rangers
After being released by the Ibrox side as a teenager, Ferguson joined Hamilton, making his bow in Scottish football before Aberdeen secured his services in 2018.
Over the next four years, the midfielder racked up 169 appearances for the Dons, scoring 37 goals and grabbing 23 assists, establishing himself as one of the finest young players in the country.
It was clear his future lay elsewhere and in 2022, Serie A side Bologna made an offer of around £3m for the midfielder, a fee which the club couldn’t turn down.
Lewis Ferguson’s career statistics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Season | Games | Goals | Assists |
2023/24 (Bologna) | 33 | 6 | 5 |
2022/23 (Bologna) | 33 | 7 | 0 |
2021/22 (Aberdeen) | 45 | 16 | 1 |
2020/21 (Aberdeen) | 41 | 10 | 5 |
2019/20 (Aberdeen) | 39 | 3 | 9 |
2018/19 (Aberdeen) | 44 | 8 | 8 |
2017/18 (Hamilton) | 14 | 0 | 5 |
It looked like a shrewd move by the Italian side and, during his maiden campaign on the continent, Ferguson scored seven times in the league for his new employers.
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He was even made captain last term, enabling the club to qualify for the Champions League for the first time, netting six goals in Serie A. Unfortunately, he suffered a serious knee injury towards the end of the season, but his future looks incredibly bright.
Lewis Ferguson’s current market value at Bologna
It is clear the Italian side have struck gold on the Scottish midfielder, especially considering his current market valuation.
Indeed, according to Transfermarkt, the 25-year-old is now valued at £20m due to his wonderful performances over the previous 12 months.
Imagine if the Light Blues had given him more of a chance during his spell with the academy, rather than releasing him. Could he have forged his way into the first-team plans eventually?
Perhaps it was a good thing for his career having to seek opportunities outside Ibrox, especially given the pressure he would have been under to succeed.
Derek and Barry Ferguson, Lewis’ dad and uncle, both enjoyed spells at the club, which would have placed more stress on the youngster to follow in their footsteps and become a main player for the Light Blues.
The club certainly missed a trick with the Scot, but he has shown just what can happen when a player works extraordinarily hard.
What next for Ferguson? Who knows, but Rangers certainly won’t be able to afford him now, that’s for sure.
