Duncan Ferguson will work for free at crisis club Caley Thistle after volunteering to give up his wage to help save the club.
The Everton legend made the remarkable gesture just over a month after accepting a 40 per cent salary cut. His remaining £1200 a week wages, originally £3000 a month when he was lured north, will go towards the £200,000 Caley Jags say they must raise this month to stave off the immediate threat of administration.
Ferguson was talking while the Inverness board was meeting upstairs to discuss the scale of the latest financial threat to the 2015 Scottish Cup winners and former Premiership outfit’s future.
The 52-year-old former Dundee United, Rangers, Everton and Newcastle striker, appointed late last September, said: “I’ve given up my wage to try and help the club. I’m now working for nothing. That’s by the by, it’s my own decision to try and help the club get through all this.
“The players are worried, yes. They have contracts to fall upon, but it is the people around about the stadium, the staff, everyone’s jobs are on the line. I think you know since I’ve been here I’ve taken cuts and reductions.
“Now, when I realised the position the club is in, in needing to raise £200,000 this month, I decided I don’t need to get paid my wage. I’ll work for nothing just now to try and help them through this. The plight of the staff was in my mind. It always is.
“I like to think I’m a caring person and I like to look after my staff and people around about me. At the moment, I’ll get through as best I can and try to keep putting petrol in my car and food on the table.”
Ferguson was offered £3k a week by past CEO Scot Gardiner after the sacking of predecessor Billy Dodds.
He revealed just over a month ago that the wage was quickly reduced to £2k a week, before taking another 40 per cent cut in late August. Caley Thistle highlighted the renewed threat of administration in a letter to shareholders made public on Wednesday.
Ferguson added: “It was a decision I took last night when we got the message coming through about the £200,000 the club needed. I felt it would be appropriate for myself to offer my wage into that pot. They can look for a bit less than £200,000 now.
“That will continue. I’ll give my wage to try and help the club. Hopefully that helps. I’m not going to ask anyone else to do what I’ve done. It is each to their own.
“I’ve done my bit and I’ll continue to do my bit for the football club. Everyone who knows me knows that. I’ll do it as long as is needed before the people at the club come up with some money to save the club.
“Obviously, I can’t go without a wage forever and ever, because I need to put food on the table myself. But at the moment it is needs must – I’m making sacrifices.
“I think the club were happy with the decision, but I just think it is the right thing to do. It’s a personal choice. It’s not an easy time for the club and I’ve made the decision. Everyone knows I’ve enjoyed my time here, enjoyed the city.
“I keep telling people that. I like Inverness and rarely go back down the road, down south. It is a great club, a great fan-base and they’ve always been good to me, but I care about my players and the staff around about me. I’ll always fight for them and that’s why I do this.”
Caley Thistle have struggled to hit the back of the net this season, netting just six goals in eight league games.
Six draws and a solitary win in that sequence has cast doubt on their initial status as title favourites, but Ferguson remains confident a challenge can be mounted.
Administration would see the club docked 15 points, and that is also in his mind as he strives to turn draws into wins. The arrival of Charlie Reilly on loan from Dundee has added to his confidence that can be done.
Ferguson said: “Charlie, we believe, can be a great signing. He is very direct and can score goals. We have good players here and we’ll keep working hard to get those victoriers that will lift the whole place. Am I fighter? I think my past record proves that – on and off the field!
“I’ll soldier on and keep doing it for the club. We’ve just got to get results, haven’t we? We have a very young squad and with the financial implications you’re concerned for the staff.
“I’m just going to go on, keep fighting and try to support the staff and players, everyone at the club. If administration comes, every point counts. We need to get more points on the board and should have more. If it does go into administration, hopefully we can survive (in League One) as we have good players through there.”