Former Everton and Newcastle United striker Duncan Ferguson is rightly considered one of the hardest footballers the Premier League has ever seen – the Scotsman was known for his fiery temperament and uncompromising style of play that struck fear into defenders and goalkeepers alike.
Ferguson was one of the last great old-school centre-forwards whose physicality, aggression and fierce loyalty earned him cult-hero status among Everton fans across his two spells at Goodison Park, marked by a victory in the 1995 FA Cup – the Toffees’ last major trophy to date.
An outstanding striker himself, Ferguson was once asked to pick his greatest Scottish player of all time and mentioned as many as four players, including two Rangers icons, one of whom he praised as his idol.
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Duncan Ferguson Praises Davie Cooper
As the greatest Scottish footballer of all time
Davie Cooper
Ferguson, as quoted by The Guardian, named former Rangers and Motherwell winger Davie Cooper as the greatest Scottish player of all time, and also mentioned the likes of Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness and Denis Law:
“My idol was Davie Cooper. Left winger, good-looking fella, black hair, I loved the way he wore his socks! Obviously Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness and Denis Law are the boys but Davie Cooper was my idol so I’ll go with him.”
Remembered as one of Rangers' most naturally gifted footballers, Cooper made his name at Clydebank before joining the Gers in 1977, where he became a fan favourite and spent over a decade dazzling supporters with his attacking flair.
The left-footed winger could glide past defenders with ease and was a master of delivering pinpoint crosses, as well as scoring spectacular goals, netting 49 times in 376 appearances for Rangers.
Cooper won three league titles, three Scottish Cups and seven League Cups during his 12-year career at Ibrox and was posthumously inducted into the Rangers Hall of Fame in 2000.
He also enjoyed a four-year spell with Motherwell after leaving Rangers in 1989 and helped the North Lanarkshire club win the Scottish Cup in 1991.
Cooper was capped 22 times by Scotland, scoring six goals and providing four assists, with his last appearance coming in 1990 – two years before Ferguson earned his first cap.
Cooper sadly passed away in March 1995, at the age of 39, from a brain haemorrhage after collapsing on a training pitch next to Broadwood Stadium in Cumbernauld.
His sudden death shocked the football community and led to widespread mourning across Scottish football.
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Statistics courtesy ofTransfermarkt. Correct as of 23-06-25.