Serie A: ‘In our DNA’ – how the Scots took over Italian football

“Everything was great about Italy, bar the football,” said the late Denis Law, who made a British-record move to Torino in 1961 and spent the season alongside Scotland-raised England international Joe Baker in an era characterised by Italy’s ultra-defensive catenaccio system.

Joe Jordan, dubbed the Shark by Italian media, followed in 1981, joining AC Milan and then Verona, before Souness won the Coppa Italia in 1985 during his first of two seasons at a Sampdoria side emerging as one of Italy’s finest.

But it would be 32 years before another Scotsman made the switch. Henderson, joining Serie B side Bari from Celtic, was also the first to move directly from a Scottish club.

Henderson may have been an anomaly when he signed, but he did give Italian fans a taste of the Scottish game.

“Their mentality, they are hungry players, ​​committed, both inside the pitch and outside the pitch. They are so professional,” explains Francesco Strozzi, who was a scout at Bologna when the club signed Ferguson and Hickey and now works for Torino.

“Of course, on the pitch there is a trend about increasing physical football. So we’re talking about making runs for the team, having two phases, attacking, defending – especially when it comes to midfielders.

“It’s something being recognised also by the fans. The intensity, the physicality, the hunger for results – they’re loved for that.”

Strozzi says the real change came when Covid hit. Bologna were already exploring the Scottish market, but lockdown restrictions meant clubs were forced to rely more on video and data analysis, which inevitably broadened their pool of potential recruits.

They found value in Scotland, where young players were gaining first-team experience and, in some cases, registering minutes in European competitions.

“Scottish football is not just about Celtic and Rangers,” adds Strozzi.

Aged 18 and on the radar of some of Europe’s top clubs, Hickey joined Bologna from Hearts for £1.5m in 2020, making 48 appearances over two seasons before being sold to Brentford for £17m.

Ferguson, 22 at the time, followed from Aberdeen in 2022 for £3m and has since captained the Rossoblu to a first Coppa Italia triumph in more than 50 years, led them into the Champions League for the first time and been named the best midfielder in Italy.

“Ferguson is an incredible player, captain,” says Strozzi. “He was able to give Bologna what was missing back then in their midfield – a player giving 100% for the team, making important runs, scoring important goals but also being able to run back, defend and be a presence on the pitch.

“Of course, that was amplified with McTominay going to Napoli. What Ferguson did in the background, being almost unknown to the mainstream fans here in Italy, McTominay did in the highlights coming from Manchester United.”