By 1998 Duncan Ferguson was a firm fans’ favourite at Goodison Park.
The Scottish striker had joined Everton four years earlier, initially on loan before a permanent deal was sealed. His impact was quickly felt, as his first season saw him help the Toffees beat the drop in the Premier League and secure a memorable FA Cup final win over Manchester United.
The goals would continue to flow as Ferguson put his tough spell at Rangers behind him, as he went on to net 42 times in 33 games over five seasons on Merseyside.
Why Ferguson left Everton for Newcastle United
Perhaps unsurprisingly, this put the 6ft 4in striker on the radar of a host of Everton’s Premier League rivals and with the club finding themselves in a position of needing to sell, Ferguson was on his way to Newcastle United for a fee of £8million in November 1998.
In this pre-social media age, an emotional Ferguson would write a two-page farewell letter in the club’s magazine, insisting that he would never forget them.
“My preference was to stay where I was,” Ferguson tells FourFourTwo as he recalls ths move, 27 years on. “But Everton needed a few quid, I was a saleable asset and Ruud Gullit had tried to get me previously, at Chelsea.
“It came about quickly. Newcastle bid £7 million, with another million to come if I played 20 or 30 games; Everton were getting the £7m up front, and that was going to help the club.
“I was actually involved in negotiating a new contract to stay. In the end, it was explained to me and I thought, ‘Do you know what? If the board don’t f**king want me, what do you do?’
“Gullit liked me. So did Glenn Hoddle when he was at Chelsea – I went to meet Glenn a couple of times.”
After scoring twice on his Magpies debut against Wimbledon, a hernia injury impacted his first season at St James’ Park. Ten goals would follow in 1999/2000 campaign before he would find himself back at Goodison Park the following summer in a £3.75million move.
Ferguson would see out his playing career on Merseyside, spending six season back at Goodison, before hanging his boots in 2006.
Big Dunc: The Upfront Autobiography, written with Henry Winter, is available now in hardback, eBook and audiobook
