Graeme Souness spoke highly of his former Liverpool team-mate (Picture: ITV)
An emotional Graeme Souness ‘sent prayers’ to Liverpool great and Match of the Day icon Alan Hansen on ITV’s opening coverage of Euro 2024.
Hansen’s former club Liverpool said on Sunday that the legendary defender, who turned 69 yesterday, was ‘seriously ill’ in hospital.
During an illustrious 14-year spell at Anfield, Hansen made over 600 appearances and helped Liverpool win eight league titles, three European Cups, two FA Cups and three League Cups.
After hanging up his boots, Hansen – who earned 26 caps for Scotland – established himself as a high-profile and respected pundit, working on the BBC’s Match of the Day show for 22 years.
Prior to the Euro 2024 opener between Germany and Scotland, Souness was asked if he wanted to say anything about Hansen.
‘I had the pleasure of playing with him, he was an absolute dream for a midfielder,’ Souness said on ITV. ‘He passed the ball at the right weight at the right angle at the right time.
‘Just a super footballer. I believe the best footballing centre-half ever. I know that’s some statement but I really believe it. I saw it close-up, he was a real quality performer.
‘And as a human being, when people are ill people say they were great guys. I’m telling you, he was a great guy.
‘You’d have to search a long, long way to find anyone who’s got a bad word to say about him and that takes some doing. His chat and banter was top-class, he was a pleasure to be around.
‘He’s in the fight of his life right now and we should all say a little prayer to him.’
Alan Hansen is ‘seriously ill’ in hospital (Picture: Getty)
Souness also spoke highly of Hansen on talkSPORT, saying: ‘He wasn’t a colleague, he was a mate, a good friend, a proper friend,’ Souness said. ‘He’s a proper human being, it will be hard to find anyone say a bad word about him.
‘He is one of life’s good guys and we’re all saying a prayer for him. I spoke to his wife, Janet, a few days ago and you can imagine the state he’s in.
‘But I’m telling you, he’s one of the best guys you could meet, a proper human being in every sense.’
More to follow…