New St Johnstone winger, Stephen Duke-McKenna, was denied a career highpoint by former Dundee United star, Duncan Ferguson.
But the deadline day loan recruit from Harrogate Town used the “stab in the heart” he received at Everton as motivation for his life as a professional footballer.
Duke-McKenna came through the Goodison Park academy alongside England and Newcastle United forward, Anthony Gordon.
Both were drafted into the Toffees’ first team squad for a Europa League clash with Apollon Limassol in December, 2017.
A medical appointment prevented boss, Sam Allardyce, from travelling to Cyprus – so coaches Craig Shakespeare and Duncan Ferguson were put in charge for the group stage dead rubber.
With the clock ticking down to the end of the contest, and Everton 3-0 in front, Duke-McKenna thought he was going to fulfil a lifelong dream and be brought on to make his debut for the Merseyside giants in Europe.
However, Ferguson crushed his hopes – and started 16-year-old Gordon along the path to a career that has seen him establish himself as one of the best attackers in the English Premier League.
‘Fuming’
“I got called to come on,” Duke-McKenna recalled in an interview with the Liverpool Echo.
“This is one thing that did my head in a bit, fuming I didn’t get on.
“Me, Anthony and Michael Collins were warming up and Craig Shakespeare called me over.
“‘Me?’ He nods, so I run to him.
“’Take your jumper off, quick, you’re coming on.’
“So as I get my head out of my jumper, Duncan (Ferguson) jumped up and said: ‘Actually no, get Anthony.’
“It was like someone had just stabbed me in the heart.
“I don’t know what the reasoning was behind it. I had my dream there and it was ripped away.
“But I believe that everything happens for a reason, and maybe that was meant to happen – me to experience that feeling and me to want it more.
“I will never forget that in my life, ever. It was a big moment.”
McKenna was released by Everton in the summer of 2018.
A short spell with Bolton Wanderers followed before he was snapped up by Queens Park Rangers.
And in 2021, he ended up making a significant contribution to a Carabao Cup shock against the club he started out with.
Duke-McKenna, a Guyana international, scored in QPR’s third round penalty shoot-out triumph at Loftus Road to knock Rafa Benitez’s Everton out.
Now 24 and a Harrogate player, he has agreed a loan with Saints through to the end of the season.
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