You wouldn’t want to go into a 50/50 with any of these…
Earlier, football mourned the loss of Tottenham, Hearts and Derby legend Dave Mackay, one of the game’s real hard men who would never pull out of a tackle or 50/50 challenge.
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In tribute to the tough tackling Scot, we have put together a list of the top 10 hardest footballers.
10. Patrick Vieira
Picked up eight red cards and 77 yellows in a career when he was never far from trouble or on pitch spats. The Frenchman was undoubtedly talented, but once got sent off in a game in which he was returning from suspension for Arsenal.
9. Vinnie Jones
Part of the Crazy Gang at Wimbledon who shocked Liverpool in the 1988 FA Cup final, Vinnie Jones was a tough tackler. Famously pictured grabbing Paul Gascoigne’s nether regions when the former England midfielder was at Newcastle.
8. Graeme Souness
A man not to be taken lightly, when describing a tackle Souness put in during his time at Rangers in the European Cup against Steaua Bucharest, a Steaua player said, “Souness nearly killed him – it was horrific, one of the worst tackles I have ever seen.”
7. Duncan Ferguson
The Scot was a favourite at Everton and collected nine red cards in an uncompromising career, the most famous of which being a head-butt on Raith Rovers’ John McStay during his time at Rangers. Following the incident Ferguson was banned for 12 matches and sent to prison for three months.
6. Terry Butcher
The iconic image sums it all up. Butcher suffered a deep cut to his head during a World Cup qualifier against Sweden but carried on playing despite stitches and bandages, at the end of the game his white England shirt was covered in blood.
5. Tomas Repka
Repka was red carded an unbelievable 21 times in his career, even attacking officials and a TV cameraman in September 2007 during his time at Sparta Prague.
4. Dave Mackay
George Best said Dave Mackay was, “The hardest player I’ve ever faced.” It doesn’t come much bigger than that. Mackay broke the same leg twice whilst at Tottenham and the picture of him grabbing Billy Bremner epitomised his determination.
3. Joe Jordan
Given the nickname ‘Jaws’ after he lost four teeth in a Leeds reserves match, Joe Jordan was, according to Alan Hansen, “A fearful sight,” without his teeth. Even when Jordan went into a coaching role after his playing days he wasn’t a stranger to a touchline dust up, just ask Gennaro Gattuso.
2. Stuart Pearce
The defender was given the nickname ‘Psycho’, which says it all. Pearce broke his leg while playing for West Ham and tried to ‘run it off’ and when he eventually was substituted, he walked off the pitch after refusing to be stretchered off.
1. Roy Keane
Keane admitted that his near career ending lunge of Manchester City player Alf-Inge Haaland was pre-meditated saying, “I’d waited long enough, I f***ing hit him hard. The ball was there (I think). That take that ****. And don’t ever stand over me sneering about fake injuries.” The Irishman was also well known for hit spats with Patrick Vieira and was infamously sent home from the 2002 World Cup.