Tears and triumphs – being a Scotland international’s dad

Five domestic medals and representing your country. A career to be proud of, certainly. What could top it? Your son emulating your success, of course.That’s the case for Derek Ferguson, the former Rangers and Scotland midfielder whose son Lewis has become something of a cult hero in Italy.The 25-year-old Bologna captain and midfielder helped end the club’s 51-year wait for a major trophy with victory in the Coppa Italia final against AC Milan.Rumours now link the Scotland cap with Juventus, but Ferguson senior has urged his son to enjoy his recent success for now.”I cried like a big baby at the final whistle,” Ferguson told BBC Radio Scotland’s Sportsound. “I just burst out greeting.”When I hugged him, I wouldn’t let him go. He’s probably not used to that. To see the joy in his face and his team-mates, because they’re a great bunch of lads.”Some players go through their whole career and they don’t win anything. You’ve got to savour these moments.”I get a big excited. That’s the best night, best footballing night or day of my life. I won a few cups, a couple of league titles, but I never felt anything like that. It was just a special moment.”We were allowed on to the park, which was quite surreal. The Bologna fans were still in, they were still singing. We’ve got some great pictures. He’s very happy where he is. Extremely happy.”Ferguson and fellow Scotland internationals Billy Gilmour and Scott McTominay, of Serie A winners Napoli, all featured in Scotland’s recent friendly double-header with Iceland and Liechtenstein, as did Motherwell 18-year-old Lennon Miller.The midfielder impressed in Vaduz as the Scots won the second of the two games 4-0, following a 3-1 home loss to Iceland.Miller has a year left to run on his contract at Fir Park and the windows for Well to receive a good fee for him are running out.”The style of footballer that he is, I think he’s made to measure for Italy,” Derek Ferguson added.”I’ve watched Lennon as a 16-year-old, he’s added to his game already this season, so he’s improving. You can just see he’s going to thrive.”Miller’s father, Lee, a Scotland striker himself who featured for Aberdeen, Dundee United and Heart of Midlothian, hinted that his son is open to moving abroad.”They’re being given an opportunity, they’re being given a platform to go and express themselves and they’ve been shown a lot of faith abroad,” he said of the Scots abroad.”It’s only going to benefit the national team in years to come.”Miller senior revealed that Lennon had “asked questions” of the foreign-based Scots when on international duty.”He’s confident in his own ability, but he’s not arrogant with it,” Miller said. “It’s good to see him in this environment and thriving in it.”He’s mature enough to go and kick on in his career and he needs to do that himself. I’m more confident that he would go over there and thrive. I think it would take his game to another level.”That’s the way he plays. He organises, he takes the ball under pressure. It was proud for me as a dad watching it, seeing him being himself and not changing for anyone.”Miller admits he is “a bad spectator” when watching his son as he gets “nervous, excited, anxious”. Where he may be watching him in the coming season is unclear.”He’s back in at Motherwell training tomorrow,” he said.”We’ll just wait and see what happens, but he just ultimately wants to play football. Yes, he wants to further his career and there’s been lots of chat about different clubs.”In terms of decision-wise, we’ll sit down and weigh up the pros and cons about different things coming, but ultimately there’s not been a firm bid put in place for Lennon.”