Lewis Ferguson says he was "absolutely gutted" for Billy Gilmour, and the line lands because he has been through the same thing himself. The Scotland midfielder, 26 and from Hamilton Accies, missed Euro 2024 through injury. Now he is preparing for his first major tournament with Scotland before the Group C opener against Haiti.

Why Ferguson's reaction carries weight

Ferguson did not offer a generic show of support. He said: "The last Euros was obviously really disappointing, I was forced out through injury." He also explained that he told Gilmour he had been through something similar, after leaving him alone when the news first broke.

That gives his reaction a different feel from the usual squad solidarity line. Ferguson knows what it is to watch a major tournament disappear because of injury, and he knows the part where the first instinct is to give the player space. "I was absolutely gutted for him," he said. "Once he got the results, we left him alone because you need a bit of time to process it."

Scotland's tournament mood still keeps rising

There is a bigger picture here too. Ferguson said: "It's been such a long time that Scotland have been involved in these competitions so you can feel the excitement within the squad and it's the same with the fans."

That matters because his own disappointment has not dulled the sense of occasion around this group. Scotland's World Cup opener is scheduled away to Haiti on 2026-06-14 01:00:00+00, with Morocco next on 2026-06-19 22:00:00+00 and Brazil on 2026-06-24 22:00:00+00. For Ferguson, the pain of missing out in 2024 is now sitting alongside the prospect of his first major tournament, which is why his response to Gilmour feels so immediate.

Steve Clarke's comments only sharpened that picture. He said the first conversation about Gilmour was really difficult and admitted he struggled on Saturday night with the situation. He also described Gilmour as a big part of what Scotland have done since Euro 2020. The manager's reaction was emotional, but Ferguson's version is more personal because he has already lived the same setback.

The sympathy is real, and it is not just words. Ferguson has been through the injury disappointment, and that is why his response to Gilmour sounds like the voice of someone who knows exactly what was taken away.

Compiled by the ClutchBrief Desk with AI assistance, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →