Setting New Goals

A Club legend due to his attacking exploits during his playing career, Duncan Ferguson is on the right path to make his name in coaching – and believes he is in the right place to do it.

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Upon taking charge of Everton back in the summer, one of Ronald Koeman’s first decisions was to retain the services of Duncan Ferguson.

Not only has the man lovingly referred to as ‘Big Dunc’ earned legendary status among Evertonians, but he has good experience as a coach, having eased his way up the ranks from working alongside Kevin Sheedy with the Under-18's through to linking up with the senior group after being appointed by Roberto Martinez back in February 2014.

“I’m very pleased that Duncan is the other member in our technical staff,” Koeman explained back in July. “That’s good because I like to have somebody in the Club who is really an Everton man, with a big history in the Club with his goals. He knows the Club, which I think is a very important reason to have him in.”

That sentiment meant a lot to Ferguson. “It was nice to hear,” he says, smiling somewhat bashfully. “I personally think it is good to have that connection there. At every club it is a good idea to have someone who has that bond with the place. It’s important to have that continuity, instead of changing all the positions in the backroom staff.

“I had to earn that position, of course. When the new manager came in, I had to show him that I could coach and that I knew what I was doing. But I have been a fully qualified coach for the last few years, having completed every coaching badge along the way. You can’t get any more badges than I’ve got and you can’t get better experience than I have.”