Graeme Souness spoke highly of his former Liverpool team-mate (Picture: ITV)
An emotional Graeme Souness said he was ‘sending his 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 in Munich, Souness was asked if he wanted to say anything about his friend and former team-mate.
‘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. But 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 for him.’
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’s a proper human being, it will be hard to find anyone say a bad word about him.
Alan Hansen is ‘seriously ill’ in hospital (Picture: Getty)
‘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 she’s in.
‘But I’m telling you, he’s one of the best guys you could meet, a proper human being.’
Scotland face the unenviable task of taking on tournament hosts and European giants Germany in their opening Euro 2024 fixture.
The Scots have never made it out of the group stage at the Euros but Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann is nevertheless wary of the threat of Steve Clarke’s side.
‘Scotland are a team that doesn’t have world-class stars but that makes them very dangerous,’ he said this week.
‘They work very hard and have a classic Scottish mentality. They’ve had an incredible development. They’re not a kick-and-rush team.
‘When you watched Scotland a few years ago it was balls in the air and fighting for the seconds, now they are capable in every department.
‘They can counterattack and have a good build-up game, they have effective pressing moments but can defend compactly. They are in a good way and it’s because of the brilliant job of my colleague.’
Scotland will turn their attentions to Group A rivals Hungary and Switzerland after facing Germany at the Allianz Arena in Munich.
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