Graeme Souness has candidly discussed his experience of being the target of a shooting during a revealing interview on the new podcast Everything I Know About Me produced by the Mail.
At 71, the Scottish legend enjoyed an illustrious playing career, securing five league titles and three European Cups with Liverpool, while also representing Middlesbrough, Rangers, and Sampdoria.
In this podcast, Souness shares his journey but reflects on the challenges he has faced along the way.
He opened up about the shooting incident from the 1980s, which occurred during the final years of his football career.
True to his nature as a straightforward speaker, Souness did not hold back his emotions, shedding tears as he recounted some of the more challenging periods of his life on the podcast.
Tune in 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
Despite the challenges, he expressed pride in his journey and accomplishments as a player, as well as his work as a manager and pundit after retiring from professional football.
‘I have no fears about being cancelled, who cares?’ Souness stated.
‘I’m completely at ease with who I am. I never entered football with it being a popularity contest in mind.’
‘This is who I am. I don’t really care if you like me or not.’
‘This is my narrative, and I’m sharing it as I remember it. I have a legacy and I take pride in most of my story.’
After working as a pundit for Sky Sports for several years, Souness departed the network in April 2023.
Since then, he has kept active, taking on the challenge of swimming the English Channel for charity last year.
He successfully raised over £1 million for DEBRA, a charity dedicated to supporting individuals with the painful skin condition Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB).
This cause is particularly significant to Souness after meeting a young girl named Isla who has lived with EB since birth.
Having undergone a triple heart bypass in the past, Souness described the challenge as ‘more difficult’ than he had anticipated, completing it in 12 hours and 17 minutes, while acknowledging the support of his fellow swimmers, including Isla’s father, Andy Grist.
‘The first hour of swimming was in complete darkness,’ shared the Mail Sport columnist, ‘and although we had practiced swimming in the dark during early winter mornings, it didn’t quite prepare us for that first hour.
‘Finding a rhythm in the darkness while constantly checking for the boat made it quite a challenge. I struggled during that initial hour.
‘The second hour, which was in daylight—where I had done most of my training over the past nine months—was much more manageable for me. I’m thrilled and proud that we accomplished 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
‘However, I’m feeling very fatigued. We were on a small boat, and there was little opportunity to catch any sleep.
‘I owe tremendous gratitude to my swimming partners from the past nine months, as I couldn’t have done this without them.’
‘It has been a very challenging experience for Andy, training alone in Inverness and lacking the camaraderie and the support of others during tough moments.’
Listen to Graeme Souness on the Mail’s Everything I Know About Me podcast wherever you get your podcasts now. New episodes are released every Thursday, with the first episode launching today.
