Eric Cantona used to wear his collars up, and I used to turn his collars down just to put him off. He just wanted to fight me then, he didn’t want to play football, he called me a fat b*stard and said I’ll fight you in ‘le tunnel’.
To be fair, he was bigger than me, and I was a bit panicky.
So, after the game – I kept doing it, he kicked me up the arse, he tried to elbow me, and saying le tunnel, le tunnel.
At the final whistle, he shot off to the tunnel at the Stretford End.
He didn’t have a kick – in this game he scored in the last minute and he scored a penalty.
Of course, I’m walking after him, and I’m getting closer to him and I’m thinking, f*ck me, he is quite big.
I started doubting myself thinking, he is quite big. Then David James come and stood next to me, and Cantona’s effing and blinding.
I’m looking to David James saying, you going to let him get away with that, and David James, who was about seven foot 10, chased Eric Cantona up the tunnel.
I get to the tunnel and I’m going, where’s that French tw*t? I was going to tear his head off!
Lucky enough, he retired after that season, so I never played against him again, thank f*ck.
It’s in one of Fergie’s books, that the most Cantona used to get wound up was when he played against me.
Razor Ruddock Exclusive: I once said to Fergie, ‘F*ck off, Taggart’
I had a barney with Fergie – I kicked Mark Hughes on the halfway line at Old Trafford once, and Fergie came running – you know he used to come running onto the pitch? I said: ‘F*ck off, Taggart.’
I just called him Taggart.
I remember Bryan Robson coming up to me during the game saying, that’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard.
I used to come out of Old Trafford – the changing rooms at Old Trafford, you used to turn right to go to the bath, and Fergie’s office was halfway up there, so I used to sh*t myself walking up through there in case he’d come out and got me.
I’ve never really been close to him after I called him Taggart.
He wasn’t even my manager. It was like going to school and keeping out the way of the headmaster with Fergie. He wasn’t even my manager and I was terrified.
Razor Ruddock Exclusive: I had two nights on the lash with Nelson Mandela
I went two nights on the lash with Nelson Mandela in South Africa.
I remember, with Nelson Mandela – with Nels, actually. You had to call him Nels.
So, with Nels, we were in Jo’Burg.
We played Kaiser Chiefs in Jo’Burg, and he just turned up, no announcement. He turned up, walked into the dressing room.
Two or three of us afterwards, we went to the bar after and he was handing out all the Castle beer. So, we got drunk with Nels that day, then three days later he came down and he turned up again. He said, I enjoyed myself so much the other night I’ve come again.
I told my mum, I’ve been with Nelson Mandela, the world leader. She said, what did you talk about? I went, I haven’t got a clue what the f*ck we were talking about.
It was just like going to the pub with your mates, Sunday afternoon, coming home and your missus going, what did you talk about?
So, I wasted two nights with Nelson Mandela. I didn’t ask him anything. I think we were singing football songs to him at one stage.
You can’t go, Nels, how was it like being banged up for 15 years? I couldn’t say that!
Razor Ruddock Exclusive: Billy Whitehurst was the scariest player I ever faced
There was a fella called Billy Whitehurst. Now, let me tell you. Billy Whitehurst played for Hull, Newcastle, Sheffield United. He was tough. He was from Yorkshire.
Big, big man. Scary. I was whacking Brian Deane. I was getting the better of Brian Deane one match, and Billy Whitehurst wasn’t playing.
So, the half-time whistle goes, I’ve been all over Brian Deane, and the half-time whistle goes, and Billy runs on the pitch with his suit and tie on, and he gets my Southampton shirt and just rips it, so it looks like I’ve got a cardigan on now with no buttons.
We only had one shirt. So, second half, I had to put the shirt on like that and pull my shorts up like Simon Cowell wears his strides.
He used to scare the life out of me – you’d win a header against Billy Whitehurst and he’d want to tear your head off just for beating him in the air.
He was a dangerous man. Everyone was scared with him. But the hardest player I played with, Jimmy Case.
He was an assassin – luckily, I never played against him.
A lot of players that played against Jimmy said he was the toughest, craziest ever.
Razor Ruddock Exclusive: My white FA Cup final suit ended up over Eros’ wings in Piccadilly Circus
Our after-party was in Planet Hollywood in Piccadilly Circus.
Me and Stan Collymore got drunk and I went outside, and I climbed Eros, the statue, in Piccadilly Circus, and put my cream blazer over Eros’ wings in Piccadilly Circus, and then climbed down.
Honestly, every time I go – next time you’re in Piccadilly Circus, have a look at Eros and think how the f*ck me and Stan got up there, I’ll never know.
Pissed as anything we were.
