Neil ‘Razor’ Ruddock’s family call legendary football hardman different name – and it’s for a very cute reason
NEIL RUDDOCK has revealed the nickname given to him by his family.
The legendary football hardman was known as “Razor” for much of his career.
But that’s not what those nearest and dearest to him know him as.
In a wide-ranging interview with the Telegraph, the former Liverpool and Tottenham ace admitted that those closest to him call him “Jacko”.
The reason? Because that’s what his childhood cuddly toy monkey was called.
Such is the amount he gets called Jacko, that Ruddock quipped: “Only my Mum and judges call me Neil!”
Ruddock, 54, recently admitted to “cheating death” by undergoing gastric sleeve surgery.
The procedure saw the ex-defender lose seven stone.
Speaking to the Mail, Ruddock opened up on his health scare.
He said: “I feared for my life. I know a lot of people will read this and say I’ve cheated, and I tell you what I did… I cheated death.
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“The way I was going, who knows how long I could continue like that.”
Amid well documented struggles with eating and drinking, Ruddock had reached 27st.
Following a chance meeting with former Towie star James Argent, however, Ruddock was inspired to make a change.
Appearing on GMB this week, Ruddock explained: “I found out I had to a bad heart, I had a pacemaker, I was lazy. I always had the excuse to eat and drink, it snowballed from there.
“Then I bumped into Arg, a beautiful man, and he told me he story and that was it.”