James McFadden lifts lid on Everton life with Thomas Gravesen, claiming Dane launched fireworks at the physio and brought paintball guns to training!

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Everton players have been in the firing line this season after the club's £140million summer spend in the transfer market has only resulted in a slump down the Premier league table.

But it appears the current set of Toffees players could be having a much harder time of it judging by the antics at the club's training ground when Thomas Gravesen was at the Merseyside outfit.

Gravesen spent two spells at the Toffees between 2000-2005 and 2007-2008 on loan but there was one word that former James McFadden used to sum up his former Everton team-mate.

James McFadden opened up on life with Thomas Gravesen while they were at Everton

'Nuts. He was mental. He was just a different kind of guy. He was somebody that in a group, well, you'd try and avoid him,' McFadden told Open Goal.

'He was like the most hyper guy. Ever. All the time. One on one he was fine, but in a group he was a nightmare.

'Once there was me and Jimmy Lumsden - he's about 60 with white hair - Thomas used to throw him about. Over the physio table, everywhere.

But Gravesen's antics didn't just stop at being loud and a part-time wrestler in the Everton dressing room, as McFadden recalled the Dane's fondness for using paintball guns and fireworks as a practical joke.

Gravesen quickly became a fan favourite following his arrival at Goodison Park in 2000

Gravesen celebrates a goal at Birmingham City in 2004, and was known for his eccentric ways

'Once he brought a paintball gun in and started just shooting people. He brought fireworks in one day.

'The physio's room was at the side of one of the pitches. The physio was one of the fittest guys at the club, he was in his 50s and used to play a bit.

'He was running with the injured players when Tommy comes out with a big rocket and fires it right at him.'

Despite his craziness, Gravesen now lives in Las Vegas with his wife Kamilla Persse following earnings and successful investments that helped the Dane pocket £80m.

The former midfielder's money management was noted by McFadden who also admitted that manager David Moyes struggled to get tactical instructions to his ex-team-mate.

Following retirement from football Gravesen now lives in Las Vegas with his wife Kamila Persse

'He had no outgoings, no bills,' McFadden continued. 'He used to stay in Lee Carsley's flat. He didn't like having bills. He had a nice motor, but in the winter he'd sell it and buy a Renault Megane, because that's a 'winter car'.

'In the summer he wore new Hummel boots, but in the winter he dug out some leather ones and called them his 'winter shoes' - never boots.'

'He [Moyes] got him to play but it wasn't always smooth. Once we were playing Chelsea - he was up against a three in midfield with Claude Makelele sitting in deep.

'In training we went three in the middle to match them up. Moyes told Gravesen to stick with deep-lying guy. Don't let him out of your sight, he bellowed.

McFadden was a team-mate of Gravesen at Everton between 2003 and 2005

'Don't move off him, he said. As soon as the ball went up to the full-back, Tommy sprinted toward the full-back to get the ball.

'"Stop", shouted Moyes. "Tommy, what you doing?"

'"I can get there gaffer."

'"Just don't move," said Moyes.

'Next time ball was in the play Tommy was after it again "I can't help it gaffer", he said.

'Moyes just said, "right, move on."

'He would win games for you, simple as that. I spoke to some people when he scored for Celtic and told them that he would be far the best player in the league. Technically he was amazing. Tommy was brilliant. At everything.'