Carlo Ancelotti is one of football's greatest ever managers, with his trophy haul of five Champions Leagues, six league titles and multiple domestic triumphs testament to his legacy.
So, when the Italian decides to keep certain coaches on when arriving at clubs, there's clearly a reason why. At least, that's what Duncan Ferguson believes, with the Scotsman becoming assistant manager to Ancelotti at Everton when he joined in 2019.
Now the manager of Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Ferguson coached under seven different managers at Everton - as well as filling in as the caretaker boss himself on two occasions - with Roberto Martinez, Ronald Koeman, Marco Silva, Sam Allardyce, Ancelotti, Rafa Benitez and Frank Lampard all seeking his help.
Carlo Ancelotti endorsed Duncan Ferguson at Everton
"Guys like Carlo Ancelotti don’t keep people on their staff if you’re not decent," Ferguson tells FourFourTwo. "Believe me: every time I lost a manager, I thought I was gone, but I knew I was good at my job and I was loyal.
"I’d like to think that if anyone ever said one thing to you about Duncan Ferguson, the word is ‘loyal’.
"I stuck by all of those managers. Big Sam [Allardyce] was going through maybe the toughest part of his career on that touchline at Everton, and he’ll tell you what type of fella I am."
Ferguson eventually left the club in July 2022, seven months after working under Lampard as first team coach. He views leaving as a necessity: when Benitez had left in January that year, Ferguson interviewed for the vacancy as well as overseeing a 1-0 home defeat to Aston Villa when in interim charge of the club.
"I had to leave because I had my pride, but also Frank Lampard had taken over and you don’t want someone who’s interviewed for your job sitting three or four seats back – it just doesn’t look good," Ferguson admits.
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"Frank wanted me to stay, but once you’re interviewed and don’t get the job, you’ve got to fall on your sword.
"I honestly thought it was the right time and that they should have given me the job until the end of the season – I’d proved myself and I knew the squad, I knew the club and I knew the fans. To be fair, they brought in Frank, we worked fantastic together and he saved them from relegation, so it worked out alright in the end, albeit it went to the wire."
