MARK HATELEY returned to Britain older, wiser and better after six years on the continent that shaped him as a player and person and saw him hold his own with the greats of the game.
And the Ibrox legend reckons the same European experience will help Lewis Ferguson go from strength to strength for club and country after a breakthrough campaign in Serie A.
Ferguson made the move to Bologna last summer as he and former Hibernian star Josh Doig followed in the footsteps of Aaron Hickey and opted for la dolce vita. A year on, it has proven to be a wise decision for the midfielder.
His performances for Bologna have seen the likes of AC Milan and Juventus credited with an interest in him. This week, he will be part of the Scotland squad that is preparing for the crucial qualifiers with Norway and Georgia.
It would have been the easy choice for Ferguson to continue his career south of the border when he opted to leave Pittodrie. Like Hateley did almost four decades ago, he thought outside of the box.
Hateley quit Portsmouth to seal a life-changing deal at the San Siro. A dream switch to Monaco followed and he was the complete striker by the time he joined Rangers and set about firing Walter Smith’s side to a succession of league titles and domestic trophies.
And the Englishman is pleased to see Ferguson reaping the rewards in Italy and making the most of the chance to learn on and off the park after making an immediate impression at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara.
“I think Lewis has done absolutely brilliant at Bologna," Hateley said. "He scored again last week to score his seventh goal of the season from midfield and that’s a great return in Serie A.
“Being taught the European way of playing football has been absolutely massive for his development.
“He will become a great player. I have no doubt about that. He is already very good and he will become better.
Lewis Ferguson scores for Bologna! 🇮🇹 The Scot, formerly of Aberdeen, comes up with a confident finish for the Serie A side. pic.twitter.com/Ax6RKlCLJY
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) October 31, 2022
“He is young, he is big, he is athletic and he is going to get stronger. The Italians will work on every part of his game to make him a better player and importantly, he has got the attitude and application that will push him to be the best he can be.
“In Italy, as a midfielder, you have to have the whole package, so they will work on his defensive side as well. It has been a great move for him.”
The exploits of Ferguson, Doig, who moved to Hellas Verona last summer, and former Bologna defender Hickey are to be welcomed. Indeed, it should be hoped that more follow suit.
There has often been a reluctance from young Scottish talents to head abroad and look to expand their horizons by embracing different cultures and different ways of working.
The six seasons that Hateley spent at the San Siro and Stade Louis-II were rewarding in financial terms. Yet it was the football impact of mixing it with key figures in game on a daily and weekly basis that made the biggest impression on the striker.
“I want to see them coming out of their comfort zones," Hateley said. "Look at what Jude Bellingham did when he left Birmingham for Borussia Dortmund when he was so young.
"Ask him if it helped make him the player he has become. Going to Real Madrid as a 19-year-old.
“If you get the opportunity to go abroad as a young player, you should jump at it.
“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.”
Hateley returned to these shores in July 1990. The £1million fee that Rangers paid proved to be a bargain bit of business and the striker went on to become a hero to the Ibrox crowd during an illustrious period in the club's history.
Graeme Souness had attempted to sign Hateley before he made the switch from Milan to Monaco but Rangers had to wait before landing their man. It worked out for all parties in the end and Ferguson could soon have a decision of his own to make if he continues to catch the eye.
“I stayed away for six years and I went to Italy and France to learn two different styles of play," Hateley 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.
Mark Hateley scores for Rangers in the Battle of Britain clash at Elland Road in 1992 pic.twitter.com/K1EHEvfchr
— The Rangers Archives (@OldRangersVideo) August 2, 2016
“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.
“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. They are football people and they are all over everything, so being linked with those clubs in Italy is not a surprise to me.”
Ferguson will have plenty of time to consider his club future further down the line. Right now, his only focus is on Scotland and their European Championship ambitions.
The competition for a midfield spot is fierce within Steve Clarke’s squad. That challenge will not daunt Ferguson, however, as he seeks to prove his worth in dark blue.
“Yes, no question," Hateley said when asked if Ferguson can become a mainstay in the national side. "Scotland have a very good midfield at the moment and he is getting time off the bench, but it will eventually happen for him.
“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.”
