WALTER Smith provoked more fear as a manager than Graeme Souness, according to former Rangers captain Barry Ferguson.

The midfielder played under Smith while at Ibrox before working with notorious ex-Scotland hard man Souness at Blackburn Rovers.

Ferguson recalled Dwight Yorke’s clash with the Ewood Park boss, but insisted he was more afraid of Smith after worrying that ‘he was going to kill me’ during one run-in.

Read more: 'I knew it was a mistake within a week': Barry Ferguson on leaving Rangers for Blackburn

When asked about Souness by Si Ferry for Open Goal, he said: “If he didn’t like you, that was you.

“He organised a five-a-side game and put the teams up; there was a staff team. I was like ‘why’s there a staff team playing in this? This is the first team.’

“And him and Yorky (Dwight Yorke) weren’t getting on with each other and he just went and done him.

“He was a tough cookie, he wouldn’t mess about. He had a go at me a few times. But he was great - a top, top player.

“If I go back, Walter Smith was fiercer than him. I feared Walter more than I did Souness.”

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Asked if he ever answered back the Gers legend, Ferguson replied: “No. I tried to once. I thought he was going to kill me. I did, seriously. I s**t myself.

“I learned my lesson pretty quick there. He was fierce. Souness was as well, but Walter had more fear about him.

“But when a Souness or Walter walked in, you could feel that. Everybody sat up and took notice.

“And I liked that about some players as well who could do that. Arthur (Numan) did that, looking back there was Gazza, Richard Gough as well was a leader.

“They would walk in and you’d be like ‘right, he’s in the dressing room.’”