Former Newcastle United and Sunderland goalkeeper Shay Given shares hilarious story about Duncan Ferguson

Duncan Ferguson spent a season and a half at St James's Park (Mandatory Credit: Ross Kinnaird/ALLSPORT)

Ferguson, whose son Cameron plays for Newcastle United under 23’s, signed in January 1999 after leaving Everton for a fee just-shy of £10m.

He scored 12 goals during his time at St James’s Park and on the pitch, formed a formidable strike-partnership with Alan Shearer.

Speaking on the OpenGoal YouTube channel, his former teammate Given has revealed his favourite memory of the Scotsman, and it came during an off-field incident:

Ruud Gullit left his role as Newcastle United manager following their defeat to Sunderland on a night where Alan Shearer and Duncan Ferguson started on the bench (\ Mandatory Credit: Graham Chadwick /Allsport)

“Duncan was brilliant. I remember once he was back at my house and someone had bought me a bottle of Dom Perignon for my 21st or something.

“The lads were all coming back for a party and they were drinking beers.

“Duncan goes ‘I can’t drink this [rubbish]’ and he’s clocked the bottle of Dom Perignon that I had stashed. It was in the box and everything.

“Duncan just reached up, didn’t need a step ladder or anything, reached it and brought it down.

“I was like ‘no Duncan I don’t want that opened’ but he just went ‘this is what I’m drinking’.

“The bottle got opened and I was devastated.”

Given also spoke about Ruud Gullit’s time in charge of Newcastle and how it all ended following that game against Sunderland:

“When you’re in the zone in the mix of it all, you’re kind of focused on your own job.

“But looking back now, the biggest thing was when they played Sunderland, it was a massive derby game.

“I was actually injured that night and Duncan Ferguson and Alan Shearer were both left out of the team - they were on the bench and they played a young guy [Paul] Robinson up front.

“We lost 2-1 and at eight o’clock the next morning, both Ferguson and Shearer were waiting outside the manager’s office.

“I think Alan got there at ten past eight but Duncan was there already - you wouldn’t want to be there.

“Sexy football seemed a long way away at that point.”

Both Ferguson and Given have gone into coaching roles following retirement - Given is assistant to Wayne Rooney at Derby County whilst Ferguson is Rafa Benitez’s no.2 at Goodison Park.