Jack Butland reveals Barry Ferguson 'hairdryer' treatments for some Rangers stars, they were 'taken a little bit aback'

03/28/2025 02:30 PM

Jack Butland admits some of the Rangers dressing room have been taken aback by Barry Ferguson’s hairdryer treatments at Auchenhowie.

Ferguson garnered a reputation for being a rip-roaring Rangers captain who would give everything for the jersey, and making sure all of his teammates followed suit.

Because if they failed to keep up with Ferguson’s own high standards on and off the pitch, they were sure as hell going to find out sooner rather than later.

While Michael Mols recently revealed Ferguson was a quiet leader in the dressing room, Butland has told reporters that the Rangers interim boss has been channelling his inner Sir Alex Ferguson of late.

Sir Alex was famed for his explosive rants directed at his players, the most prominent when he had an altercation with David Beckham that ended in the winger needing stitches above his eye.

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Barry Ferguson has delivered ‘hairdryers’ to Rangers stars

Barry Ferguson doesn’t appear to be resorting to those extremes, but Butland says the manager and his coaching staff have ‘big voices and big energy’ – sometimes leading to ‘hairdryers’.

Asked initially if training has been more productive over the international break, Butland revealed: “There’s been a hell of a lot of contact.

“From the minute the guys came in, they were very conscious about getting results, very conscious about trying to make the environment and the energy right, which they have now.

“They’ve come in with big voices, big energy, big characters, you’ve got that. It’s very easy to follow. It’s very easy to follow that standard, to understand who they were, who they are as people, who they were as players.

“They’ve set a real standard for everybody. They’re very aware of what’s expected is what’s expected, and that’s what’s demanded all the time. So, yes, it didn’t take long.

“A few of the other lads might have been taken a little bit aback by some of the hairdryers at times, but I guess it’s what was needed. I think the boys have responded really well to it.”

What Sir Alex Ferguson said about his Man Utd hairdryer treatments

In 2016, three years after retiring as one of the greatest football managers of all-time, Sir Alex Ferguson told the World Business Forum in Milan that his famous ‘hairdryer’ treatments were overexagerrated.

But the ex-Manchester United boss admitted he had a problem when players decided to answer him back.

As quoted by Sky Sports via The Sun, he said: “There was a lot of myth about it. It happened about half a dozen times in 27 years and the players will tell you that.

“The problem for me was if a player answered me back, I headed towards them. That was my problem.

“Jock Stein always said to me, ‘Leave it until Monday to talk to them,’ but I said I couldn’t wait until Monday. So, on a Saturday after the game, I told them exactly how I felt, because we had trained at a level all week that I expected to win every game.

“I told them exactly the truth and the truth works. All the players understood that and it was never held against me. Then the next day it is pushed aside and I’m prepared to win again. I never ruled by fear.

“Name a Manchester United team that played with fear. My job was to get a positive attitude into that team, for them to express themselves, never give in and enjoy playing for the club. That is sacrosanct.”