I am a Celtic silly striker, and I was taken aback by Barry Ferguson’s decision to recruit me.

Sean Higgins would have never imagined that he would experience a day in which he would enjoy playing for Barry Ferguson.

And it has nothing to do with the fact that he was raised as a Celtic fan and has a strong aversion to witnessing the Rangers legend elevate trophies.

Ferguson made the former Dundee and Ross County striker one of his most significant acquisitions as Clyde manager after he transitioned to a part-time schedule in the latter phases of his career. It was unexpected to witness his former manager assume the role at Ibrox this week, but it was not nearly as surprising as when he assumed the position with the Bully Wee over a decade ago.

Ferguson, the new caretaker manager of the Gers, is currently in action at Kilmarnock, where he is joined by his trusted former team mates Neil McCann, Billy Dodds, and Allan McGregor. It is a quartet that Higgins is intimately familiar with. As he describes it, he has collaborated with three and has insulted the other.

While Dodds was assistant manager at Dens, the 40-year-old was a teammate of McCann at Dundee. A audacious finish off Higgins’ boot over two decades ago resulted in McGregor being on the negative end. However, Ferguson’s awareness of professionalism and standards was truly enlightened during his tenure at Clyde.

He is adamant that any member of the Rangers dressing room who believes he can coast will be rudely surprised by those non-negotiables. However, Higgins also believes that Ferguson may need to reduce his expectations from his own silverware-laden playing days. He stated to Record Sport,

“I never imagined that Barry Ferguson would become my manager.” Let us be forthright. I was as surprised as everyone else that he accepted the Clyde position when I considered his playing career. The standards of the Ibrox icon are not concealed. However, his coaching and management methodology has been largely unknown to those outside of the organisation.

Ferguson employed Higgins at Clyde for two seasons. Additionally, he stated, “I admired Fergie’s organisation and the standards he established.” I had previously played for full-time organisations that were highly organised and well-established, with exceptional players and managers. However, he maintained a professional demeanour during his tenure as a part-time employee at Clyde.

His instruction was unparalleled. It was truly remarkable to have the quality and intensity of the material condensed into two sessions. We even embarked on a preseason excursion. That simply does not transpire at the part-time level. “We travelled to Jersey.” It was an extraordinary experience for all individuals. He merely endeavoured to execute tasks in accordance with the correct procedure.

Regrettably, we collectively failed to meet our expectations as both players and personnel. The league should have been ours to win during my inaugural season. We were ultimately defeated by Queen’s Park in the play-off final. Additionally, we were significantly unsuccessful the following year, and he departed prior to the conclusion of the season.

“I had a positive rapport with Fergie; however, numerous relationships were terminated.” That was the beginning for me, as I observed in society that individuals were unable to tolerate a raucous. It is feasible for certain individuals. Numerous individuals were incapable of doing so. It is evident that it was a considerable amount of time ago; however,

I believe that this is an area in which he will likely need to improve. Neil McCann, Allan McGregor, and Doddsie are evidently part of his backroom personnel. They will render assistance to him. Perhaps that individual will require an arm around the shoulder. I am confident that Fergie will be the first to administer a rollicking to the players who require it.