Liverpool legend Alan Hansen has been given the all-clear to head home after a serious health scare landed him in hospital.
“Alan has been discharged from hospital today to continue his recovery at home,” Liverpool FC announced. “Alan, Janet, Adam, Lucy and family would like to thank everybody for their wonderful messages of love and support. It has been overwhelming and has helped enormously.”
The 69-year-old former footie ace was rushed to hospital in early June, sparking concern among fans and fellow players. His old mate from his Liverpool and Scotland days, Graeme Souness, has been a rock, keeping tabs on Hansen and sharing updates on his condition.
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“Anyone who’s met Alan Hansen, he has a wicked sense of humour so I’ve had two conversations with him in the last five, six days,” Souness spilled to talkSPORT just before Hansen got the green light to leave the hospital. “Both conversations were me on the receiving end of his humour, so that tells me he’s on the way back.”
(Image: Getty Images for Laureus)
Souness had previously hinted that Hansen was getting better after a conversation over the phone. And now, fans can breathe a sigh of relief as the defensive legend is set to recuperate at his own home, reports the Mirror.
Hansen made the switch to Liverpool from Partick Thistle back in ’77 and snagged three European Cups, eight league titles, two FA Cups, and three League Cups across an impressive 620 games for the Reds.
After hanging up his boots, the Liverpool legend turned into a TV pundit, gracing the BBC and Match of the Day for years. Hansen became a familiar face during 16 FA Cup finals, six World Cups, five European Championships, and even an Olympic Games, before calling it quits on his TV career in 2014 post-World Cup final.
When he left Match of the Day, Hansen said: “I’m retiring from Match of the Day at the end of the season. I will have been there for 22 years and will be 59, so it’s the right time for me.”
(Image: Dominic Lipinski/Getty Images)
In a candid chat in 2016, Hansen opened up about the “crippling” nerves that played a part in his decision to step down as he looked back on his battle with anxiety.
“There was no training, it was sink or swim,” he revealed. “I was lucky to work with a master, Des Lynam. After 22 years I kept telling myself I wouldn’t get so nervous, but it got worse.
“That was one of the reasons I left. I was getting more nervous and I’d say: ‘What are you doing? ‘ The BBC were terrific, I loved the people and Match of the Day but I didn’t enjoy the nerves.”
He also let said: “When I played I didn’t like pundits. When I was a pundit I didn’t like the other pundits because I was scared they might be better than me.”
“Honestly, I thought they were all better than me. It was my insecurity.”