CALUM CROWE: Lewis Ferguson has been criminally under-used by Steve Clarke

Despite the fact he was hoovering up trophies on a yearly basis for Manchester United, Michael Carrick never really established himself as a regular with England.

He became the heartbeat of United’s midfield under Sir Alex Ferguson, winning five Premier League titles as well as the Champions League.

Bizarrely, however, a succession of national team managers - Sven-Goran Eriksson, Steve McClaren, Fabio Capello and Roy Hodgson - overlooked him.

He won just 34 caps and played only one match at a major tournament - at the 2006 World Cup - at a time when he had yet to reach his peak.

It was a paltry return for a player widely viewed as one of the most gifted and elegant midfielders of his generation.

All the more so given that players who didn’t have his talent or trophy haul - someone like a Gareth Barry, for example - won in excess of 50 caps.

In later years, Carrick candidly admitted he reached a point where he didn’t enjoy going away with England, to the extent that he eventually asked not to be picked in squads.

He became a lost talent. At club level, he could mix it with the likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Sergio Busquets and Andrea Pirlo in the Champions League.

Yet, with England, the playmaker in an all-conquering United team would be parked on the bench in favour of plodders like Barry.

All of which brings us to Lewis Ferguson. What are the chances that he could go on to finish his Scotland career with, say, just 30-odd caps?

What are the chances that he could become Scotland’s version of Michael Carrick; a player who excels at club level but is routinely overlooked for his national team?

Ferguson is now 25 years old. He has just captained Bologna to Coppa Italia glory, with victory over AC Milan in last week’s final securing the club’s first trophy in 51 years.

He played in the Champions League this season and was voted best midfielder in Serie A last year, before suffering a serious knee injury which ruled him out of Euro 2024.

Not that he would have played much in any case. Not if Steve Clarke’s previous stubbornness was anything to go by.

Speaking in March 2024, prior to two friendlies against the Netherlands and Northern Ireland, Clarke was asked about Ferguson’s form with Bologna and his possible involvement with Scotland.

‘It tells you the strength in depth we’ve got in the squad that Lewis is still not a regular starter,’ said the Scotland manager.

That was nonsense. To talk about strength in depth when the likes of Kenny McLean were being regularly picked ahead of Ferguson was just piffle from Clarke.

McLean has spent the past three seasons playing for Norwich City in the English Championship at a time when Ferguson has been ripping it up in Serie A.

Ferguson has elevated himself to become one of the most coveted midfielders in Europe, one who carries a valuation of around £25million into the summer transfer window.

Blockbuster bids are expected. Clubs like Bologna tend not to hang on to their best players for long once the likes of Inter Milan, Juventus and Napoli start sniffing around.

And yet, in a Scotland jersey, Ferguson has been criminally under-used. He has won 14 caps to date, the vast majority of which have come from the bench.

That Ferguson has so far started only three matches for his country reflects poorly on Clarke.

It is why these upcoming games against Iceland and Liechtenstein are so important for the Scotland manager.

A friendly double-header at the end of the season against two lesser nations might not set the pulse racing, but it's far from being a pointless exercise.

Being able to solve the Ferguson enigma and crack the midfield conundrum will be key to Scotland’s prospects of World Cup qualification.

It has now reached the point where Ferguson’s talent can no longer be ignored. Bluntly, he is too good to sit and warm Scotland’s bench.

Clarke is blessed with options in central midfield; John McGinn, Billy Gilmour, Scott McTominay, Ryan Christie.

McTominay and Gilmour could win Serie A with Napoli on Friday night. Gilmour is Scotland’s best passer of the ball by a distance and the most technically proficient midfielder we have produced in years.

McGinn is a mainstay for an Aston Villa side who reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League this season and has been a talisman for Scotland over the years.

Christie has been a revelation for Bournemouth in the Premier League this season, playing in a deeper role, and should return for the start of next season following groin surgery.

Throw Ferguson’s name into the mix and it’s clear that Clarke has the makings of a terrific midfield at his disposal, with young Lennon Miller also a player of considerable promise.

In September, Scotland will begin their bid to qualify for the World Cup with back-to-back away games against Denmark and Belarus. In October, they will then have two home games against Greece and Belarus, before finishing the campaign in November with return matches against the Danes and the Greeks.

It's a short burst of six games in the space of two months, with the winner of the section qualifying automatically and the runner-up securing a play-off spot.

Given the way things fell apart in such dreadful fashion for Clarke and his players against Greece at Hampden in their last outing in March, these upcoming games are important.

Not only do the Scots need to demonstrate an ability to bounce back from that Nations League play-off hammering, the manager needs to demonstrate a clear road map to the USA and the next World Cup. Ferguson has to be part of that.

This is the kind of problem which hasn’t affected too many Scotland managers of the past 20 years. Generally, all of our good players tended to play more often than not. Having top players parked on the bench wasn’t really an option.

Such is the depth of talent now available to Clarke, especially in central midfield, this selection dilemma is one he needs to solve.

Ferguson can’t be left twiddling his thumbs. It’s imperative that he is given the chance to impress from the start in these friendlies.

The prospect of him becoming Scotland’s version of Michael Carrick, while players like Kenny McLean assume the role of Gareth Barry, is just too painful to consider any longer.

It’s boom or bust for Angeball in Bilbao

Ange Postecoglou will become a club legend if he leads Spurs to victory over Manchester United in the Europa League final.

One who, according to reports in England, may still be relieved of his duties even if his team triumph.

That would be a harsh fate for a man on the brink of winning the club’s first major trophy in 17 years.

Regardless of Wednesday's result in Bilbao, it would be foolish to write him off as a manager.

Of course, there will be certain things he will reflect on and feel like he could have handled differently.

Like being so brash when stating that he always wins a trophy in his second season.

That's a comment which has followed him around for much of the campaign.

Falling out with fans and journalists ... blaming VAR and a horrendous run of injuries. Postecoglou has clearly sought to instil a siege mentality, as evidenced again on Tuesday when he told reporters he’s not ‘a clown’.

In one recent spat with journalists, he hit out at critics he felt were acting like 'Mr Hindsight' and trying to be clever after the event. But that's our job. We watch, we observe, and we report on what we see. Journalists, generally, do not engage in clairvoyance.

Nobody in the media has ever sought to predict Tottenham's or Postecoglou's demise, or wish them any misfortune, so his comments have definitely been wide of the mark at times.

The Australian can reflect on all of that in the summer. Perhaps on a beach somewhere, perhaps still at Spurs, or perhaps at a new club.

One thing is for sure, though. Even if he is sacked, you can bet your bottom dollar plenty of other clubs in England would take a chance on him. He’s proven himself capable of producing an exciting brand of attacking football when his players are fit.

He’ll fancy it on Wednesday night, too. In three matches against United this season, Spurs have won all three by an aggregate scoreline of 8-3.

Tottenham don’t define a manager. They certainly didn’t define Antonio Conte, who was chased out the door over his ‘negative’ style of play and is now on the brink of winning Serie A with Napoli.

Nuno Espírito Santo was another boss discarded by Spurs, only to enjoy an outstanding season with Nottingham Forest and take them into Europe.

It may be boom or bust for Angeball in Bilbao. But he’s certain to have a host of suitors if he gets the tap on the shoulder.