I used to write to Ferguson in jail - Rooney

Former Everton forward Wayne Rooney has revealed that club legend Duncan Ferguson was his "idol" throughout his younger years, adding that he used to write to the former Toffees striker while he was in prison.

Ferguson was sentenced to three months in prison in October 1995 for headbutting John McStay while playing for Rangers against Raith Rovers in April 1994.

The first of Ferguson's two playing spells at Everton began in October 1994, when former manager Mike Walker brought him in on a three-month loan deal, only to be signed permanently by his successor Joe Royle.

Ferguson was then sold to Newcastle United for a fee of £8m in November 1998 before moving back to Goodison Park for a fee of £3.75m in August 2000.

"My idol was Duncan Ferguson," said Rooney in his latest podcast episode. "When I was a young boy supporting Everton, I used to write to him in jail and he would write back to me.

"This was when I was 12 years old or something like that - and then four years later I was playing alongside him.

"I was too young to drive back then as well, so he would take me home from training. My family were all massive Evertonians, so when he would pull up outside my family home, my dad would be out the window.

"My letters were basically me telling him how much I love him. When I eventually met him face-to-face, I told him it was me writing to him him and that was surreal."

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