The former Everton hero said he once ‘flattened’ the ex-Liverpool captain but he still continued.

Duncan Ferguson has named former Liverpool captain Sami Hyypia as the toughest opponent of his career.

Ferguson forged himself a fierce reputation during his playing days for Everton and Newcastle United. The Scot was sent-off a total of eight times during his Premier League career - the joint-most along with Patrick Viera and Richard Dunne.

But Ferguson was a formidable striker when he was at his best and caused plenty of defences problems. In total, he scored 126 goals in 423 appearances throughout his playing days.

The former Rangers man recently appeared on The Peter Crouch Podcast while promoted his autobiography ‘Big Dunc’. Ferguson recalled some of the duels he had and revealed that Hyypia was the one player who caused him the most issues.

To try to gain an advantage, Ferguson revealed on one occasion that he landed a ‘cheap shot’ on the former Finland international which required him to be stretchered off. But after Hyypia returned to the pitch some five minutes later, it left Ferguson stunned.

He said: “I played up to it (his reputation) a bit. You use everything and stories grow arms and legs. It's a small snowball that gets bigger and bigger. Before you know it, you become the hardest player to ever put a pair of boots on. He's this, he's that... I wasn't that. I played on it a wee bit. I was just childish but I played on it. Don't speak to anybody, don't talk to them, don't shake your hand they'll think: 'Who is this guy' and I played on that'.

“I had trouble with all centre-backs. There was no easy ride in the Premier League. You've got boys like Tony Adams, Keown at Arsenal in the defence, big Sol Campbell, Rio Ferdinand was kind of the modern player.

“Big Sami Hyypia at Liverpool, I always say, was my toughest opponent. He was big, good in the area, not the quickest, brave. I remember once I flattened him at Anfield. I was playing for Newcastle and he was probably getting the better of me and I came across and banged him and out he went... gone. He got stretchered off and came back on.

“The amount of respect I had for that man after he came back on the pitch, he could have just easily swallowed it and walked away. I gave him a cheap shot, I flattened the boy because he was getting the better of me. He was carted off at Anfield and five minutes later, he was back on. I thought: 'You're more than a good player, you are tough as well'.”

Hyppia joined Liverpool from Dutch outfit Willem II in 1999. He spent 10 years at Anfield, making 464 appearances and scoring 35 goals. In that period, he helped the Reds win the Champions League, the UEFA Cup, two FA Cups, two League Cups and two UEFA Super Cups. Hyypia departed to join Bayer Leverkusen in 2009 and is very much regarded as a Liverpool legend for what he achieved.