Duncan Ferguson: I told David Beckham to f*** off - it's one of my biggest Premier League regrets

When he moved from Dundee United to for £4million in 1993, became Britain’s record signing. Ferguson then went on to build a reputation as a fearsome striker with and during a spell with United.

Big Dunc was box office, one of the most recognisable figures in the ,

While he admits it is an image he might have encouraged during his playing days, it is one that the 53-year-old Ferguson is now a bit embarrassed about.

And one particular example of his macho past makes him cringe, a moment when he turned his back on the most famous, possibly the nicest, man in English football.

Ferguson explains the background to the scene that he now regrets.

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“After a game when the final whistle went, I would just walk off the pitch. I would not go near anybody. Maybe that was building up that aura that I was a big hard case and people would be saying ‘don’t go near Duncan Ferguson, he’s going to flatten you’. Maybe I played on that a wee bit.”

And sure enough, when English football’s golden boy was looking for an end-of-match chat, Ferguson was having none of it.

Ferguson says: “I think had just won the league at Everton - or just a crucial game there - and shouted over to me.

“Hey Dunc, he said, and was wanting to shake my hand, putting his hand out. I turned round and said ‘f*** off’! I then turned my back as if to say ‘why would I want to shake your hand?’

“It was just daft. It was David Beckham, a legend of the Premier League, a class footballer, won everything, incredible player … and there was me blanking him.

“As the years go on, you just think ‘what a t*** I was’! I should have been ripping the shirt off his back and keeping it as a memory for my kids. ? One of my sons idolised Ronaldo. I never even shook his hand. Daft things.

“So, sorry … although he will not be bothered his a*** about that. He won’t care two s***es!”

Big Dunc: The Upfront Autobiography by Duncan Ferguson, with Henry Winter, is published on 8th May by Century

WATCH: The Full interview with Duncan Ferguson and Chief Sports Writer Andy Dunn will be available on the from 10am on Monday.