Duncan Ferguson: Former Scotland striker 'emotional' after first Inverness CT win
- Published
Duncan Ferguson enjoyed celebrating with the Inverness fans after their win
"Serene" is not a word many would use to describe Duncan Ferguson.
But when his Inverness Caledonian Thistle side rushed into a 3-0 Scottish Championship lead at Arbroath, he was controlled.
Even when the hosts pulled two back to force a nervy conclusion to his first game in charge, the 51-year-old remained chilled.
There were no coming-togethers with combustible opposing manager Dick Campbell. There were no shouting matches with referee Don Robertson. There were no skelpings for his players, either. It was all so... even-tempered.
And that's exactly what Ferguson was aiming for on his return to Scottish football. "I wanted to be calm," he said afterwards.
On the touchline he was poised. But when he celebrated with the band of travelling supporters at full-time, a glimpse of the old competitor in him shone through.
Understandable, given the win was the first of the season for Inverness, and one which lifts them off the bottom of the table.
And if scenes, during and after the game, are anything to go by, then the only way may be up for the Highland side.
'Caring' Ferguson 'has been through it all'
On his return to the seaside Angus town, where as a boy he spent time in the nearby amusement park, the former Scotland international was relaxed.
While he meandered around Gayfield - the venue where he scored his only hat-trick in Scottish football - Ferguson chatted amiably, stopped for those pleading for an autograph, and even managed to avoid being smothered by mascot Smokie Joe.
"I am a caring person," he said. "I like connecting with people."
His composure was captivating. Even for a man of his stature, it would be near impossible to brush off the expectations, pressure and noise that has been forced upon him on his eagerly awaited return home.
But he was unfazed, fully focused on the football and revitalising a low-in-confidence Inverness side.
One would imagine a Ferguson pre-match team talk would galvanise the troops. Or perhaps strike the fear of God into them.
Ferguson rallied a fragile ICT group and led them to their first league win of the season
And they were energised. There was a freedom to their play. Ferguson allowed them to express themselves.
"I try to give tactical instructions to the players and give them encouragement," he said. "I have a lot of experience in football, I've been through it all, it's never over."
Not until the referee blows his whistle, anyway. Another thing Ferguson learned was there is no fourth official in run of the mill Scottish second-tier games.
He was left red-faced searching for one when desperate to know how long was left in the game...
When the final whistle did eventually peep, and the formalities with the opposing bench were done, a sighting of the passionate Ferguson peeked through.
Marching over to the Inverness fans - who had hailed their new leader throughout - he beat his chest and clenched his fists, reciprocating their adulation. They've bought in, and so has he.
"I am enthusiastic and know how much these fans are committed to the club," he added. "They spend a lot of money going up and down the country and it's the first time they've seen a victory this year.
"It was emotional, but it was the team that got the three points. I never headed a ball, I never scored a goal. I just set them up as pushed them as hard as I possibly could."
All the fanfare may have been directed towards the former Dundee United and Rangers striker, but Saturday was never really about him, as far as he was concerned.
He couldn't even remember that hat-trick here three decades ago. Instead, his lasting memory of Arbroath was scurrying around the floor of the arcade at the penny falls, searching for loose change.
Perhaps that's the man he's always been. But his first win as Inverness CT manager might just now be the first thought that springs to mind.