ABERDEEN midfielder Lewis Ferguson praised team-mate and Scotland defender Scott McKenna for being an exemplary professional despite failing to win a move after he handed in a transfer request. And he believes the Dons have put down a statement of intent by refusing to sell him.

Ferguson is preparing to face San Marino tomorrow for Scotland Under-21's opening Euro 2021 qualifier in Paisley, having established himself as a key man for both club and country.

His Pittodrie colleague McKenna remains with the north-east club after the end of another transfer window amid continued speculation linking him with moves down south and to Celtic.

McKenna is currently nursing a hamstring injury, but Dons manager Derek McInnes kept faith with the defender despite the noise surrounding his possible departure. And Ferguson was impressed with how McKenna handled the speculation.

He said: "He's been different class for us. It's a big boost for us that he's staying because there was a lot of interest in him. He's been playing week in, week out for Aberdeen and for Scotland so there was no doubt he would attract interest.

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"It was up to him and the club. There was a transfer request, but you didn't see that in his performances. Maybe if someone else put in a transfer request, their performances might have dipped, but he kept going and gave everything and that's all we could have asked for. It's not up to us whether he wanted to go or wanted to stay. The only thing that mattered was him putting 100 per cent in and he did that.

"I think Scottish football has changed. It's a bit more out there now. It's a good statement from the club knocking big money back. It's where we are at and the club is going in the right direction.

"Scott's a prime example of a pathway at the club that can lead to Scotland. He was playing with the 21s in the qualifiers last year and he started performing well for club and country and he ended up captaining Scotland. It shows you where hard work and dedication can take you. I'm just looking to follow in his footsteps.

"It's good to hear recognition for my performances, but I don't get too carried away. It won't change me if i did get a call-up for the senior team, but my focus is with the 21s this week and then Aberdeen."

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Ferguson has gone from being a top prospect to a mainstay for both Aberdeen and Scot Gemmill's Scotland Under-21 side. And he's pleased to accept the greater responsibility that goes with it, despite Aberdeen's European setback when they were beaten soundly by Rijeka.

He said: "There's a lot of experienced players here and although I have been playing week in, week out, I still see myself as one of the younger ones. I'm improving, I'm still learning the game and developing, so I don't see myself as one of the senior boys. Here as well, just about everyone is involved in first team football. You do feel a bit of responsibility because of the amount of first team games I've had, but so have most of the boys.

"For me, the European campaign started off brilliant. We got through the first two rounds and we rolled the Georgians over at Pittodrie. We went in full of confidence to the game in Croatia. It was tight game, but it was those fine margins. There's no doubt Rijeka were the better side over the two leags, but we contributed to our own downfall because I don't think we played to the best of our ability.

"I've never really been involved in a game like the second leg. We were really confident and thought we could overturn the 2-0 first leg defeat. We flung everything at them, but they broke early on and scored and that put the tie to bed. Pittodrie was buzzing, but that goal just killed it."