Graeme Souness has opened up on the time he was the target of a shooting in a candid interview on the new Everything I Know About Me podcast from the Mail.
The 71-year-old Scot had a glittering playing career that saw him win five league titles and three European Cups with Liverpool, while he also featured for Middlesbrough, Rangers and Sampdoria.
Souness has now sat down to tell his story, but admits that it has not always been sunshine and rainbows.
During his appearance on the podcast, he revealed why he was the target of a shooting back in the 1980s during the latter stages of his playing days.
Souness has always been a straight talker and held nothing back as he broke down in tears on the podcast while discussing some of the more difficult moments in his life.
Listen to Everything I Know About Me with Graeme Souness here:
Graeme Souness broke down in tears as he discussed the time he was the target of a shooting
Souness spoke candidly on the Everything I Know About Me podcast, and says he is proud of his journey
But he insists he is proud of his journey and what he has managed to achieve as a player and then as a manager and pundit since hanging up his boots.
‘It doesn’t worry me in the slightest about getting cancelled, who cares?’ Souness said.
‘I’m more than comfortable in my own skin. I never started off in football and saw it as a popularity contest.
‘This is me. I don’t really care whether you like me or you don’t like me.
‘This is my story as I remember. I’m putting it out there, I have a legacy and I’m proud of the vast majority of my story.’
Souness worked as a pundit for Sky Sports for a number of years before leaving the broadcasting giant in April 2023.
But he has remained busy since stepping away from the studio and took on the challenge of swimming across the English channel for charity last year.
He raised in excess of £1m for DEBRA – a charity that helps people with the blistering skin condition, Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB).
The charity is close to Souness’ heart after he met a young girl named Isla, who has been afflicted with EB since birth.
Souness, who has previously undergone a triple heart bypass, admitted it was ‘tougher’ than expected after completing the challenge in 12 hours and 17 minutes, but paid tribute to his fellow swimmers, including Isla’s father, Andy Grist, in the aftermath.
‘The first hour we did was in the pitch black,’ said the Mail Sport columnist, ‘and although all of us had done some swimming in the dark in early morning time during the winter months, it didn’t really prepare us for this first hour.
‘It’s all about getting into a rhythm and, because you’re in the darkness all the time and checking where the boat is, it is really tough. I struggled the first hour.
‘The second hour was in daylight, in which I have done most of my training the past nine months and I handled that a lot better. I’m elated and delighted and feel really chuffed we’ve done it.
Former Liverpool and Rangers star Souness swam the English channel for charity last year
He raised over £1m for DEBRA, a charity that helps people with the blistering skin condition, Epidermolysis Bullosa
Souness was inspired to take on the challenge after meeting Elsa Grist (right), who lives with the rare skin condition
‘But I’m really tired. We’re on a small boat and there hasn’t been any space to get any sleep.
‘The guys I’ve been swimming with for the last nine months, I’d like to give enormous credit to, because without them I couldn’t have done it.’
‘It has been so difficult for Andy. He has been in Inverness training on his own and not having the camaraderie and people pushing him on when things have got really tough.’
Listen to Graeme Souness on the Mail’s Everything I Know About Me podcast wherever you get your podcasts now. New episodes released every Thursday, with the first episode launching today.