Big Dunc: Upfront
From the pitch, to prison, and club legend status. Duncan Ferguson is an Everton icon.
‘Big Dunc’ is an iconic figure for Evertonians.
A hard-nosed Scot who arrived from Rangers and, over two spells at the club — either side of a stint at Newcastle United — established himself as a modern-day legend at Goodison Park.
In 269 Premier League appearances for the Toffees, Ferguson scored 68 goals. He is second on the club’s all-time list of goalscorers in the competition, behind only Romelu Lukaku.
Yet he was so much more than just a centre-forward.
Ferguson grew to represent what it means to be an Evertonian. To live and breathe the club, through the ups and the downs. He connected with the fanbase on an ethereal level — a personification of Everton: Hard work, fierce resilience and, every now and then, a little bit scary. He was part of the last Everton team to win a trophy, back in 1995.
His career was not, of course, without controversy. Ferguson shares the Premier League record for red cards, with eight. An on-field altercation with John McStay, in 1994, resulted in Ferguson spending time behind bars. Ferguson did not suffer fools, but at times, crossed the line.
Now, Ferguson has teamed up with Henry Winter for a tell-all autobiography.
Through the enthralling stories littered throughout, one thing is clear: Ferguson’s love for Everton bleeds through.
“When I was at my lowest, incarcerated inside Barlinnie, Everton fans wrote to me, their letters a lifeline from the outside. I’ll never forget that. I salute them, my brothers and sisters. They made me feel special, they made me feel like family. I hope and pray I gave them back some memorable moments.”
Ferguson provided plenty of memorable moments. Among them, a headed winner against Manchester United in 2005, and a perfectly good goal that was ruled out controversially against Villarreal in the Champions League qualifiers later that year — a refereeing decision that, if it had come against a Man United, Liverpool, Arsenal or Chelsea, the British sports media would no doubt still criticise to this day.
Then there was his managerial debut in 2019, when he took interim charge following Marco Silva’s dismissal. His first game — a 3-1 win over Chelsea — was as emotional as it was entertaining. Front-foot football played the Everton way.
Suited and booted, sporting a sweatband and Howard Kendall’s old watch, Ferguson tapped into something special on that crisp December afternoon.
Ferguson steadied the ship before Carlo Ancelotti took over — a friendship forming between Ferguson and one of the sport’s greatest-ever managers during the Italian’s 18 months on Merseyside.
Such is the bond between Ancelotti and Ferguson, Real Madrid’s manager has penned the foreword to the latter’s autobiography.
For years, Ferguson seemed content as a coach, helping the development of players such as Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison.
But he wanted to develop himself and, after helping Frank Lampard steer Everton to safety in 2022, Ferguson left Everton to test himself as a manager.
“It was a complete joy working with Duncan on his book. He was honest, upfront, very detailed and meticulous. He has a remarkable story to tell and he tells it very well. Duncan gives the inside track on so many stories that made the headlines.
“It’s a book about football, about character strengths and flaws, and about the fascinating people he’s met, including the legendary Carlo Ancelotti. Above all, the book’s a love letter to Everton fans.”
-Henry Winter
A spell at Forest Green Rovers in 2023 was a tough inauguration into management. He then took over at Inverness Caledonian Thistle. His year in charge saw Ferguson have to grapple with financial difficulties, as he worked without a salary and even used some of his own money to cover club costs, before he eventually departed after the Scottish club had gone into administration.
There is still a path into management for Ferguson, who will have learned plenty from his touchline experiences so far.
Ferguson outlined his desire to be a manager back in 2019, in an exclusive interview with Toffee TV.
As recently as this week, in an interview with Jamie Carragher for The Telegraph, Ferguson reiterated that someday, he wants to manage Everton permanently.
His two interim spells in charge included a win over Chelsea, draws with Arsenal and Manchester United, and a defeat to Aston Villa, as well as a heartbreaking penalty shoot-out loss to Leicester City in the EFL Cup. It is not a record that should be scoffed at, though Ferguson knows what he has to do to get back to the Goodison dugout.
“I know what I need to do first; to get a job, have a bit of success, prove myself. But I’d still love it, even if it is five or 10 years from now. I love the club too much to give up that dream.”
-Duncan Ferguson on managing Everton
Big Dunc — “the long-awaited memoir of one of football’s greatest but most misunderstood stars” — is out in all good book shops and online on May 8th, 2025.
By Patric Ridge