Graeme Souness delivers a major Alan Hansen health update after 'fabulous' phone call with his old team-mate who has been fighting for his life in hospital
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Graeme Souness has revealed that he has spoken to his friend and former Liverpool team-mate Alan Hansen, claimed that he 'sounded fabulous' and hopes he is now on the road to a full recovery.
The Reds and Scotland legend Hansen was hospitalised last week, prompting a number of supportive messages from club and country, as well as those he worked with as a pundit.
Souness, who recently described Hansen as a 'dream for a midfielder', told the Mail Sport that he was praying for his former colleague.
And on Monday, he provided an update on his condition, revealing that he has been in dialogue with his son, wife Janet and Hansen himself.
'I spoke to him yesterday and he sounded fabulous so I hope that's him on the way to a full recovery.' Souness told talkSPORT. 'He's definitely back because he did nothing but take the Mickey out of me!
Tribute were paid to Liverpool legend Alan Hansen (pictured) following the news that he was seriously ill in hospital
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'I've been speaking to his son and Janet his wife and I've been phoning his phone, his phone number. I got on the train on Sunday and I was looking for my seat and my phone rang and I could see it was Big Al.
'I was thinking "Oh no, don't answer that". So I sat down and got the courage to phone back and HE answered the phoned. He's been in a difficult place but the way he sounded yesterday, he's back, and I hope I'm right.'
Hansen began his footballing career with Sauchie in Scotland before moving on to play for Partick Thistle in 1973. He'd join Liverpool in 1977 and would go on to make 614 appearances for the Merseyside outfit, returning 14 goals and 19 assists before retiring in 1991.
The 69-year-old rejected the offer of going into management before pursuing a career in broadcasting, where he would take up positions with Sky and BBC Radio 5 Live.
He'd subsequently join up with BBC Match of the Day as a co-host in 1992 before leaving the show in 2014 having covered 16 FA Cup finals, six World Cups, five European Championshpis and one Olympics with the BBC.