DUNCAN FERGUSON The 'crime bosses' who were my best friends - including one of Britain's most wanted men

In May 2024 watched a show titled The Crime Bosses Who Terrorised a City.

The player said: “I nearly dropped dead. I knew every one of them, I drank with every one of them, I played pool with every one of them. Some had been at my wedding.

“They all looked after me. They were my mates. I couldn’t believe it when I saw the programme. I was in shock."

Ferguson had no idea his pals were running the Huyton Firm, serious players in the drugs underworld. He said: “We just spoke about football. I never pried. They liked me. I was an man, a star player. They were Everton fans and I was one of the lads, I fitted in.”

At one point he was inseparable from Mark Quinn, a drug smuggler jailed for seven years in 2022 "He was tough, respected, feared but also generous, one of the few guys I had to constantly fight to pay a bill, and was good company," says Ferguson.

READ MORE:

READ MORE:

"He was a big Blue and, at one point, we were inseparable. And I definitely felt I had a level of protection, as long as I never overstepped the mark, which I never did.

"We were a good group. We weren’t bullies, we were loved. They never, ever tried to involve me in anything. They had too much respect for me."

Ferguson admits however: “Eventually I did become concerned. Especially after an incident where Mark, who had a neck like , punched a doorman who’d insulted him. I began thinking about the drinking, the bad situations it led me into. Mark changed that night, and I think I changed too. Where there’s drink, there’s trouble. I wished I’d listened.

“All of Mark’s mates came on my stag do in Benidorm in 1998. The police followed us to the airport. How we got into Spain, I don’t know.

"Later on, after I’d moved abroad and into coaching, I learned some of my mates ended up getting shot and killed. Some went to prison for supplying drugs.

“I knew they were up to no good but, Jesus, I never thought for one minute how heavy they were.”

Ferguson was pictured next to the Huyton boys in police stations and his solicitors told him: “Duncan, you need to get away from these people, your face is all over mugshots. Keep away from them. I wouldn’t listen."

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

and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our