Former Inverness Caley Thistle manager Duncan Ferguson tells football legends he wants to return to coaching – despite ‘shocking’ experience in Highland capital
Former Inverness Caledonian Thistle manager Duncan Ferguson has said he wants to return to coaching, despite a “shocking” time in the Highland capital.
Appearing on this week’s episode of Stick To Football where he spoke to legends like Roy Keane, Ian Wright, Gary Neville and Jill Scott, the former Rangers, Everton and Newcastle United player discussed his career – including his time in the dug out with Inverness.
Ferguson maintained that it was “incredible” that Caley Thistle got relegated from the Championship with their record in the second tier, as well as criticising the state of the facilities ICT had to work with.
He also revealed that the wage he was earning dropped by £1000-a-week within a day of being offered the job, before sacrificing his pay packet altogether as the club veered towards administration.
Even so, Ferguson said he still has a love for the Caley Jags.
“I had the second best defensive record in the league,” he said.
“I started with two centre backs, and I think that’s good when you’ve got the best team in the league, but we went to Dundee United and I went to three at the back for the first time in my career. I adapted to that game, and we got a fantastic result, so once that happened I kept on going with it and only Dundee United conceded less than us.
“How we got relegated is beyond me. We had a positive goal difference, and we were three points off fifth. What happened to us was incredible.
“I did sacrifice my wages. The club was skint, and the facilities were terrible – it’s shocking up there. There was no support really.
“They offered me £3000 when I first went up there, then I went down to £2000 the next day – I should have smelled something. Then they went down to £1200 and I just told them to keep the money and give it to the staff.
“I still love them though, even when we dropped down a division I had only lost 11 games out of 40-odd with them.
“We drew too many and never had a striker. You need a striker to score goals, and I never had one. I still love my coaching though and I’ve come all the way through.”
With that passion for coaching still burning, Ferguson also highlighted his desire to return to the game after losing his job in Inverness when the club went into administration, and says he has been applying for jobs.
“I’d love to go back into coaching – to lose my job through administration was hard for me,” he added.
“To do all that hard work, all that grafting and do all my badges – it’s hard. I’ve had a hard break because of administration, and I don’t want it to end on that.
“I’ve got a lot to offer. I still apply for jobs, and I am still offered a couple at a lower level, but your pride is a big thing.
“I’ve managed Everton and then somehow ended up in Forest Green Rovers – I had no idea where Forest Green even was.
“You’re in the Premier League your whole life and then start coaching there, you’re not thinking about anywhere else. There isn’t football outside the Premier League at that point, then somebody phoned me and offered me the Forest Green job, and eventually I took it.”
