"Duncan Ferguson expresses his deepest career remorse in an emotional chat"
Duncan Ferguson Confesses International Retirement is His Career's Biggest Regret
The notorious former Everton striker, Duncan Ferguson, admits his premature retirement from international football is his most significant career regret. Though he scored a staggering 126 goals in 423 professional appearances, he played just seven times for Scotland.
At 26, Ferguson opted out of the national side in defiance of the Scottish Football Association (SFA) who had handed him a 12-match ban following a headbutt on Jock McStay from Raith Rovers back in 1994. The altercation, which occurred during his stint at Rangers, ultimately resulted in a 44-day prison sentence in 1995.
The regret haunts him as he ventures into discussing his autobiography, ‘Big Dunc’, stating, "I never scored for my country, it makes me really sad." He shared his feelings with former teammate Ally McCoist while taking part in the talkSPORT Breakfast broadcast.
Recalling, "I only got 7 caps for my country. And it was my fault, you know that. I decided to retire. I refused to go back for all the years. In fact, you actually, you tried to get me back," he reminded McCoist of their past attempts to convince him to return.
The SFA's handling of the incident left permanent scars on his career. Trying to put the past behind him, Ferguson revealed, "I was young, and of course, I believe I was right, in a way, on my stance. I wish I could just go back, but you can’t go back. As you get older, you get a bit wiser."
Ferguson's controversial early football days were marked by off-field incidents, including four assault convictions. Despite this, his tenure at Everton, where he scored 72 goals in 177 games across two spells, earned him the status of a club legend.
Now, reflecting on his career, conversations with McCoist, and writing his autobiography, he acknowledged, "I have an unbelievable amount of regrets, but who doesn't?" The regret casts a shadow over what could have been the career of a legendary Scottish international.
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- Duncan Ferguson's regret over his international football career is not scoring for Scotland, despite his impressive career in the Premier League and European leagues.
- The 12-match ban imposed by the Scottish Football Association in 1994 and subsequent prison sentence led him to opt out of the national side at 26, resulting in only 7 caps for Scotland.
- Ferguson recalls how he refused to return to the national side, even when attempts were made by his former teammate Ally McCoist to convince him.
- The controversy surrounding Ferguson's early football days, which included off-field incidents and four assault convictions, have left permanent scars on his career.
- Despite these regrets, Ferguson's tenure at Everton has earned him the status of a club legend, and he is currently reflecting on his career, engaging in conversations with McCoist, and writing his autobiography.
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