Worthington unable to track down Ferguson

Following Jonny Evans’s withdrawal through injury, Worthington attempted to add the highly-rated 20-year-old to his squad for the Euro 2012 qualifiers against Estonia tonight and Italy on Tuesday but he has found the left-back difficult to get hold of.

Worthington revealed in May that he had drawn a blank when trying to speak to the player, sparking worries that he was ready to join the ranks of youngsters switching to the Republic of Ireland after playing at youth level for Northern Ireland.

He is not tied to the country of his birth despite playing for the senior side in a friendly against Italy two years ago, but would be if he appeared in a competitive fixture.

Ferguson accepted a call to play for Steve Beaglehole’s Under-21 side again last month, but the latest non-appearance has clearly frustrated Worthington.

“I’ve been trying for the last 36-48 hours to get in contact with the boy to let him know I’d like to draft him into the squad,” said the manager. “His club has been notified.”