Only way is up for former Pool skipper Ferguson

The defender is now plying his trade with Darlington in the National League North having been released by the Seasiders this time last year.

Fast-forward 12 months and the 22-year-old has made it into an England shirt, albeit England C - the non-league version of the national team.

It’s the latest tick for the attacking left-back as he aims to keep forging his way back into the Football League.

Ferguson played and scored for Pool in the Championship before surprisingly being handed the skippers' armband for the disastrous League One campaign.

But it’s been an unstable time in the north-west and Ferguson found himself discarded following their relegation.

Needing somewhere to play, he joined Northern League Shildon for six months at the start of last season before Darlington came calling in January.

“Darlington have just let me play my game,” he told the Non-League Paper. “I’m an attacking player and they let me fulfil that. Martin Gray has done that, he’s a good manager, and he lets me play with freedom.

“There are some good, experienced players at Darlington. They always say to me: ‘just go and express yourself’. They let me play my game and that’s an attacking full-back. I’m still young.

“The games I’ve played at a young age, the stuff I’ve been through at a young age, it’s matured me even more.

“I’ve played 10 games in the Championship, 30 games in League One so there’s lots on my CV. But that’s football. You have your ups and downs. Now I’ve had my down, the only way is up.

“I’ve had the massive high of captaining Blackpool and then a dip in my career. But I know how to deal with stuff better now.

“There are things I would have done differently now if I was like I am now last year. You learn.”

Ferguson has another season left on his contract at Darlington, with the club then holding an option.

Although banned from playing in the play-offs for not meeting ground grading regulations, on the pitch it was a good first season at Step 2 for the Quakers.

Talking about his recent England C call-up, Ferguson said: “I wouldn’t have thought I’d be putting an England shirt on in nine or ten months’ time, no chance.

“England C is a great stepping stone and I can use this call-up. I’m sure people have been watching. I want to get back to where I was and push on.

“I know I’m good enough. I’m not saying I’m too good for the league I’m playing in, but I know my ability. I believe in myself that I should be where I was last season (2015-16).

“I know I’m a good player and hopefully when people watch they can see that. I like to do my talking on the pitch and let people see where I should be.

“I didn’t have a pre-season last year and I was stuck in the dark a bit. Off my own back I sorted it out. I hadn’t played for a certain amount of months and I just thought, ‘I need games somewhere’.

“So I started back at Shildon. They looked after us well, Darlington have as well. I’ve got another year with an option so we’ll see what the future holds.”