Graeme Souness visibly emotional as he hails ‘dream’ Alan Hansen with Liverpool legend ‘seriously ill’ in hospital
GRAEME SOUNESS struggled to hide his emotions after ‘sending prayers’ to his fellow Liverpool legend Alan Hansen on ITV’s opening coverage of Euro 2024.
Liverpool icon Hansen was admitted to hospital this week with a ‘serious illness’ and messages of support have been flooding in ever since.
Souness spoke about his friend and former team-mate ahead of both his and Hansen’s beloved Scotland’s Euros opener against hosts Germany.
He said: “I believe he was the best footballing centre-half ever. And I know that is some statement but I really believe that.
“I saw it first hand he was a really quality performer and a great human being.
“You know when people are in trouble with illness, people say they’re great guys, but I’m telling you he is a great guy.
“You’d have to search a very long way to find anyone saying a bad word about him – that takes some doing.
“And he’s in the fight of his life right now and we should all say a little prayer for him.
“I had the pleasure of playing with him, he was an absolute dream.
“He passed the ball at the right weight, at the right angle, at the right time.”
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Hansen and Souness were at Liverpool together between 1978 and 1984.
The duo made 974 appearances between them for the Merseyside outfit – winning five league titles, four league cups and three European Cups together.
The Anfield icons also played together for Scotland between 1979 and 1987.
Liverpool also sent a message to Hansen on Thursday on the occasion of his birthday.
It read: “We’re all thinking of Alan and his family on his 69th birthday.”
Souness also spoke highly of Hansen on talkSPORT, saying: “He wasn’t a colleague, he was a mate, a good friend, a proper friend.
“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.”