The Bologna midfielder was left out of the tournament in Germany two years ago with a knee injury, but has been key to the Scots returning to the biggest stage of all for the first time since 1998.

Steve Clarke’s men are preparing to play Haiti, Morocco and Brazil in their group games and, ahead of the final warm-up match against Bolivia at the Sports Illustrated Stadium on Saturday, Ferguson said: “The last Euros was obviously really disappointing, I was forced out through injury.

“It was a bad injury. It was a tough one to take because I felt at that point I was starting to get more minutes on the pitch and I just felt like I was in a good place.

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“So let’s say that this full qualification campaign and preparation has been a little bit more special for me with it being my first major tournament.

“But it’s the same for most the lads and everyone’s really looking forward to it.

“We have still got a good wee bit to go, but our full focus is on the game tomorrow.”

Ferguson expressed sympathy for Billy Gilmour, who will miss the World Cup after picking up a knee injury in the 4-1 friendly win over Curacao at Barclays Hampden last weekend.

The former Hamilton and Aberdeen player said: “I was devastated for Billy, obviously.

“I’ve known him for such a long time and we’ve kind of watched each other grow and progress in in our careers and it was nice that we were preparing for a for a World Cup together. I’m really good friends with him so, like everybody else, I was absolutely gutted for him.

“And it can happen in football, but I just I don’t think as a professional, you go into a game thinking about getting injured.

“I don’t think it will be in anyone’s thoughts really because when you’re playing the game, you don’t dip your toe in and think ‘oh I maybe get hurt here or there’. As a professional, you don’t play like that.”