Aberdeen midfielder Lewis Ferguson insists his call-up to the Scotland squad is the best 22nd birthday present he could hope for.
Ferguson, who turned 22 today, has been named in Steve Clarke’s squad for the first time for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Denmark, Moldova and Austria.
Speaking to RedTV he said: “This is definitely the best present I’ll receive unless I get something else.
“I’ll go out for a bite to eat with my family tonight but I’ve got a couple of big games coming up this week so I need to get the head down and hopefully win both games to go into the international break on a high.
“I feel good, I’m obviously delighted to be included in the squad. It’s an honour to be called up to the national team, it’s every boy’s dream.
“The gaffer pulled me into the office. You are always expecting something bad when the gaffer pulls you into the office so it was a nice surprise.
“I’ve not looked at my phone since but I imagine I have a lot of notifications.”
Earning a call-up to the squad was Ferguson’s first aim. Forcing his way into Clarke’s starting 11 is his next target followed by representing his country at the finals of a major tournament.
The former Hamilton Accies midfielder knows he has a huge task on his hand in trying to establish himself in the national team but it is a challenge he is confident he can meet.
He said: “When you get into the squads when you are younger the aim is to get through the levels up to the main squad. I’ve worked as hard as I could since the under-19s and under-21s to get the chance to play for the main squad.
“You’re not there just to be included, you want to go and play as many games as you can for your country.
“The midfield has been strong for a long time. It’s got loads of good players playing in top leagues and they have done amazing in the last few years.
“It’s a hard squad to come in and try to get a place in the starting 11 but I’m just looking forward to being involved in it.
“The aim is to go and play and major tournaments. Seeing Scotland play in the finals of a major tournament for the first time in my lifetime this summer was brilliant.
“The whole country got behind them which was great to see. Hopefully there are many more to come and I want to be involved in it.”