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#3 Roy Keane
The former Manchester United captain and now recognized pundit was always going to make this list. A two-decade-long playing career as a tough, no-nonsense defensive midfielder saw him recognized as the bona-fide hardman of the game.
His tenacity, anger and "ruthless aggression" was a double-edged sword, earning him the dubious distinction of having racked up Red cards throughout his career. Former referee Mark Clattenburg was quoted saying:
“I still smile at the first time I came across Roy Keane. He screamed at us for a corner and I’m sure it was a goal kick, but because he screamed at us so loudly, I gave a corner. I was that petrified of him.”
His ferocious bust-ups with Patrick Vieira remains the definitive moments of the 2000s Arsenal-Manchester United rivalry.
His brazen and maniacal nature took a dark turn when he went out of his way to physically harm Alf Inge Haaland, father of one Erling Haaland. He broke his leg with a shocking challenge which was an apparently pre-planned act of revenge due to an injury sustained in a prior game.
#2 Duncan Ferguson
The man Evertonians lovingly called "Big Dunc" was a giant of a character. The 6'4 Scotsman made close to 260 appearances over two spells for the blue side of Merseyside scoring 68 times, almost exclusively with his head.
Aside from his combative aerial ability, Duncan Ferguson was known for his volatility and injury record due to his spartan-like ability to battle during games. Once at Rangers, a headbutt to Raith Rovers’ John McStay during a match made him end up with a three-month sentence on an assault charge!
An even more ludicrous story is when in 2001, he caught a pair of burglars in his apartment to beat one of them into a hospital bed!
Now an assistant manager for Everton, having taken interim charge of the first team on different occasions, Ferguson is still adored in Merseyside. He is a vital part of the football club in the Premier League.
#1 Vinnie Jones
The definitive hardman, whose gritted teeth and skinhead look earned him not just the fear and respect of opponents, but also a big-money career playing gangsters and debt collectors.
Having played for the likes of Leeds United, Chelsea and Queens Park Rangers, Jones is best remembered for his six-year spell as part of Wimbledon AFC's "Crazy Gang." A notorious squad that was a precursour to Stoke City and Burnley in the modern day Premier League.
The holding midfielder was a terrifying figure in games, having bullied, battered and bruised opponents all across the Premier league. He holds the record for the fastest ever yellow card, a mere three seconds into an FA Cup game for Chelsea. But perhaps his single most famous exploit is *that* picture with Paul Gascoigne that redefined the term "Man Marking".
