Lennon Miller can follow Lewis Ferguson Serie A blueprint as Steve Clarke offers Motherwell star transfer advice

The Fir Park wonderkid will have has plenty of suitors across Europe this summer

Steve Clarke would be thrilled if Lennon Miller followed Lewis Ferguson’s career curve.

The Scotland boss named the in-demand Motherwell teen in his squad on Monday. Miller is one of seven uncapped players in the pool for friendlies against Iceland and Liechtenstein.

The 18-year-old is set for a big-money transfer as well as a senior international debut this summer. And Clarke endorsed the idea of the midfield ace switching to the continent - if it grants him regular game time.

Miller was the subject of a January bid from Udinese which was considered well below Motherwell’s valuation of their protege. Ex-Aberdeen star Ferguson, who captained Bologna to Italian Cup glory last week, went straight from Scotland to Serie A three years ago.

When asked if a move abroad could elevate Miller’s game to a new level, Clarke replied: “Hopefully. I’m not sure what his plans are.

“He spoke at the Scottish Football Writers dinner on Sunday night - picking up his award which was well-deserved - and he wasn’t giving too much away!

“Listen, I’m sure they’ve got offers on the table. Lennon will know if he’s ready to go abroad. And his family will know if they’re prepared to let him move abroad. Maybe they’ll think he’s not ready and that will be a factor in the decision.

“I think he’s a pretty level-headed boy. He’s pretty sensible so I’m sure he’ll make the right decision. I hope that him, his family and his agent make the right choice.

“And that he goes somewhere he’s going to play, where he’s going to get minutes and develop in a similar manner to someone like Lewis Ferguson, for example.

“Lewis went abroad at the right time and has developed into a really good player. His game has improved a lot, when we played away to Greece he was excellent in midfield. He’s going to be a big part of the Scotland team going forward.

“I could see Lennon playing abroad. But I can also see he’s had a really good season for Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership. He’s shown he can play at that level as well.

“So whether he goes abroad - or whether he stays in this country - the most important thing for any young player is minutes on the pitch. And, if he can get minutes on the pitch, then he will improve.”

Established Premier League performers Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour headed to Italy from England last summer. Now they’re on the brink of title glory with Napoli who are a point clear of Inter.

Clarke has his fingers crossed for the pair in advance of Friday night’s finale. He also called up Josh Doig who helped Sassuolo gain promotion by winning the Serie B crown.

But it won’t just be medals Ferguson, Doig and possibly McTominay and Gilmour bring back to Scotland camp. It’s a mentality.

“They bring a freshness, they learn different ideas and different tactics,” noted Clarke. “Serie A is a very disciplined league. If you watch the games - and I’ve watched a lot of Serie A this year - it’s very tactical.

“It’s very demanding and there aren’t too many mistakes. You aren’t allowed to make big mistakes.

“Games tend not to be end-to-end. The players work with different coaches with different mentalities and they come back with different ideas.

“Hopefully that will make us better in the future. For them, they experience a different culture. It’s not just about experiencing different football and playing for different clubs.

“It’s just the lifestyle experience. I think it is great they are doing it because it can only make them better players and better people.

“I don’t want to jinx them by talking about what might happen next weekend. But Scottish people are, all of a sudden, taking a great interest in Italian football.

“Scott and Billy are fighting for the Scudetto and Lewis has already got a bit of silverware and a medal round his neck. But hopefully the boys can finish it off next weekend. They will come into the camp in a really good mood.

“Josh has had a really good season. He has got promotion back to Serie A and that is where he wants to be. He has been in my squads before. He understands his position behind Andy (Robertson) and Kieran (Tierney), but it will be nice to see him again.”

Che Adams completes a quintet of Italian-based squad stars following his 10-goal season for Torino. He’s by far the most experienced striker in camp alongside new boy Kieron Bowie, Tommy Conway, George Hirst and James Wilson.

Bowie missed four months of the season through injury but recovered to play a big part in Hibs finishing third.

“Every time I watched the under-21s, Kieron was the one that caught my eye,” explained Clarke. “And not always as a striker, sometimes playing off the left. He was a big physical left-winger.

“I know what Lawrence Shankland and Kevin Nisbet can bring to the squad, can give to the team. These two games are a chance for us to have a look at something a little bit different.”