The famous Premier League figure thought he had killed a burglar who broke into his own home
Duncan Ferguson speaks
Duncan Ferguson once encountered a frightening situation in his own home(Image: The Overlap)
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Everton icon Duncan Ferguson admitted he tried resuscitating a burglar who broke into his home after believing he had killed him.
The 54-year-old, who was recently named head coach of Belfast-based Glentoran, is regarded as one of the Premier League's toughest-ever players and sported a formidable status on and off the pitch. He played for clubs like the Toffees and Newcastle, who both meet on Thursday night in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.
Picking a fight with the Scotsman certainly wouldn't be a smart decision, but it's a situation Ferguson found himself in back in January 2001. During his second stint at Goodison Park, the former striker's Lancashire home was broken into whilst he was inside with his wife, Janine and their six-month-old daughter.
Ferguson, who was 29 at the time, explained what happened when encountering one of the two burglars on the BBC podcast, Tony Bellew Is Angry: He claimed: "I'm lying on the couch. I heard something. I put my trainers on. I had no top on, I was ripped back then and I could see two shadows coming through the conservatory. I was quite calm.
Everyone thought I was desperate to join Newcastle from Everton but that wasn't the case
"I am quite calm with these things, probably because I've had one or two of these situations in the past, you get used to it. I got a grip of one of them and that was when I got angry...
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Duncan Ferguson (C), Marcus Bent (L) and Tim Cahill (R) of Everton celebrate the winning goal during the Barclays Premiership match between Everton and Bolton Wanderers at Goodison Park
Ferguson's house was broken into by two men whilst he was playing for Everton (Image: Getty)
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"I unloaded, I really did. I really followed in to the point where I thought I'd killed him, I really did. I had to try and resuscitate him then. So you go from a point of unloading on the fella to helping him. It happened in a matter of seconds."
The men responsible for the break-in, Michael Pratt and Barry Dawson, pleaded guilty and were jailed for 15 months. Dawson spent three days in hospital after suffering injuries at the hands of Ferguson. He and Pratt had attempted to steal bottles of champagne, a framed picture and CDs.
Judge Anthony Procter told Dawson and Pratt at their sentencing: "There is no way you can be called hardened criminals but we are dealing with a burglary at night when the house was occupied.
"Mr Ferguson may give the impression of being a hard man, but it is clear he was shaken by this incident, primarily for the effects on his wife and young child."
Despite putting the house up for sale after the perilous situation, Ferguson endured a second attempted burglary at his £2million home in Formby two years later.
Carl Bishop spent two days in hospital after trying to take alcohol from the Toffees' legend's outbuilding, but was approached by Ferguson and suffered a broken jaw and lost three teeth. He received a four-year prison sentence for trespassing with intent to steal and 12 months for his failure to go back to jail while on licence.