Duncan Ferguson’s 6 scariest moments including headbutt as hardnut quits Everton
When Duncan Ferguson rocked youngster Moise Kean's confidence by ruthlessly subbing him off minutes after bringing him on against Manchester United during his stint as Everton caretaker boss in 2019, fans were shocked.
In truth though, that was one of the tamest horrible things the Scottish hardman ever did over the course of his 32 year spell in football.
Big Dunc scared the life out of his opponents, and with damn good reason. He (still) holds the joint record for most red cards received in the Premier League and was even sent to prison for three months for assaulting a fellow player during a match (oh, we'll get to that).
Essentially, don't expect anyone with the nickname 'Duncan Disorderly' (ho, ho) to be mild-mannered. And with that being said, here are the six scariest moments of his career.
READ MORE: Everton fans left "absolutely gutted" as legend Duncan Ferguson waves goodbye
Headbutt and prison sentence
In 1994, shortly after securing a £4 million from Dundee United to Rangers – which was a Scottish transfer record at the time – Ferguson violently nutted Raith Rovers defender John McStay during a match.
Referee Kenny Clark missed the incident and Big Dunc escaped without even a booking, though he was subsequently charged and found guilty of assault following an investigation.
As it was his third conviction for assault, he was sent to prison for three months before being summarily banned for 12 matches by the Scottish FA.
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Kicking Ruud Gullit's door down
Following a combative four-year stint at Everton, Ferguson joined Newcastle in 1998, and quickly took being a psychopath to new heights.
After he and Alan Shearer were blamed by manager Ruud Gullit for the Magpies 2-1 defeat to arch-rivals Sunderland in his post-match press conference, Ferguson was left to stew overnight before taking his rage out on the dreadlocked Dutchman the following morning at training.
As the story goes, Big Dunc booted the manager's door off its hinges and put him in his place. Gullit resigned the next day.
Making Alessandro Pistone cry
Ferguson's reputation as bit of a madman must have escaped former Newcastle and Everton defender Alessandro Pistone – who ill-advisedly told the big Scot to "f*** off" during a heated game of five-a-side during training.
Rather than headbutting or kicking, Ferguson opted for a physiological assault this time. He bore a hole through the Italian's soul with a demonic death stare until the end of the training session, before then stalking him back to the dressing room.
As teammate Kieron Dyer recalled, the terrifying striker burst in after Pistone and shouted "outside, now" in a thick equally-terrifying Glaswegian accent – reducing Pistone to tears.
Ferguson then took stalking to a new level by following Pistone to Everton in 2000. Talk about s*** luck.
Freaking Jimmy Bullard out
Jimmy Bullard's Gascoigne-esque cheekiness made him arguably the most universally beloved Premier League figure of all time, but his infectious free-spirit was snuffed out by the cyborgian Ferguson during an encounter between Wigan and Everton in 2006.
After thumping Paul Scharner in the stomach, Ferguson was shown the ninth, and final, red card of his career, prompting Bullard to scurry over and see what was what.
In an hilarious video clip that instantly went viral, Bullard peers round Ferguson's shoulder as the red mist begins to descend and the Wigan midfielder's cheesy grin slowly turns into a grimace.
"I knew [Everton forward] James McFadden and I asked him if Dunc was alright," Bullard recalled. "He told me not to say anything."
Choking Steffen Freund
The shocking images of Steffen Freund's neck crumpling underneath the pressure of Ferguson's seemingly bionic grip encapsulates the Scottish forward's thuggery.
Big Dunc had just been sent off for elbowing the German, but because he felt his opponent had made a meal of it, he was more than keen to seek out round two.
Unsurprisingly, a four-match ban followed, and Freund was on Strepsils for the rest of the week.
Fighting off burglars
Sometimes, being a thug can be a good thing.
In January 2001, two (supremely intelligent) burglars decided to rob the home of the biggest nutter in the Premier League. Ferguson was in the house at the time, and as the masked men made their escape through the garden he grabbed one by the neck, dragged him back inside and restrained him until the police arrived.
Incredibly, lightning struck twice two years later, with Ferguson nabbing another robber in the act and physically detaining him.
Imagine being a burglar who's glad to see the coppers turn up, eh?
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