Lennon Miller claims first Serie A goal contribution as Lewis Ferguson frustration continues

Miller grabs assist for Udinese as Ferguson overlooked again by Bologna
Lennon Miller claimed his first goal contribution in Serie A on Monday night to help Udinese to a 3-0 win over Fiorentina.

The 19-year-old has found his feet in the Italian top flight in recent weeks after initially struggling for game time following his club record £4.75million transfer from Motherwell last August.

Miller made only four substitute appearances in the first 16 games of the Serie A season, but has now featured in 10 of the last 11 league matches for I Bianconeri, making six starts.

He was named on the bench against Fiorentina and was only introduced three minutes from time with his team already 2-0 ahead through goals from Christian Kabasele and Kelman Davis.

However, there was still time for Miller to make an impact with his headed pass creating the third goal in stoppage time scored by Adam Buksa as the Scotland international picked up his first assist in Serie A.

Miller did score his first goal for Udinese back in September in a 2-1 win over Serie B side Palermo in the Coppa Italia.

The victory moved the Stadio Friuli side up two places to 10th in the Serie A table, 11 points clear of the relegation zone but 12 points adrift of the European places.

Meanwhile, Lewis Ferguson’s recent struggle for game-time at Bologna continued as he was left on the bench for the second successive match in Serie A on Monday night.

The former Aberdeen midfielder watched from the sidelines as his team claimed a 1-0 win at Pisa thanks to a 90th minute strike from Jens Odgaard. Ferguson was also an unused sub in the 1-0 win over Udinese last weekend and was only given three minutes off the bench the previous weekend in a 2-1 victory over Torino.

Bologna had lost five consecutive matches prior to Ferguson being dropped but have now won three on the bounce which has made it hard for the club captain to regain his place.

He recently admitted that he was finding it difficult to adapt to losing his status as a regular starter at the Stadio Dall’Ara this term after an injury-hit campaign in 2024-25.

Speaking in January, Ferguson said: “It’s been a bit of a frustration, probably just because I’m not used to it. Maybe for the first time in my career, I’ve not been a regular starter.

“It’s a bit difficult, but you have to deal with it, that’s football. Sometimes you have ups and downs that are just part of it, so you have to deal with it, and I’m doing so. Still working hard every day to get back in the team.”

The victory took Bologna up to eight in Serie A, eight points behind the final European spot.

Ferguson and Miller are hoping to part of Scotland’s first World Cup since 1998 this summer with both expected to be named in Steve Clarke’s squad for the warm-up friendlies against Japan and Ivory Coast later this month.