GRAEME SOUNESS showed his emotional side as he held back tears during his Sky Sports farewell on Sunday.
Sky Sports confirmed earlier this season that Souness would be standing down from his role as a pundit – which he has held for 15 years.
The 69-year-old Scot’s final game came at Anfield as Liverpool beat Tottenham 4-3 in a thrilling contest.
And Souness, who became a pundit shortly after giving up management in 2006, had a few words for the viewers at home.
Speaking about the end of his punditry career, he said: “I’m going to miss you guys, the guys behind the scenes, our makeup girl, I’ll miss you all.
“You know, for me, I decided that football management wasn’t for me anymore. I had the wrong temperament for it, the wrong personality.
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“And then I was given the opportunity to do this and it’s been magnificent. It’s just been the most fantastic time for me, because I love football, I care about football and I worry about it going forward.
“But in Sky’s hands, it’s in good hands, safe hands, and I think over the years we’ve created a Premier League with great detail and I think we look after football very well.
“But for me personally, I’ve got the buzz of live football coming to some fantastic games and some fantastic stadiums and some great events.
“I think I owe 100 apologies to people, but we haven’t got time for that.
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“I think people at home obviously don’t always agree with us, but it’s been great guys it really has.
“And it’s great right now to be amongst friends and nothing goes on forever, but I’ve got a lot of things coming up, I’m involved in my DEBRA charity and on the 27th of this month I’ll announce the challenge I’m getting involved in.
“But it’s been great so thank you to everyone.”
Sky Sports director of football Gary Hughes paid tribute to Souness as he said: ‘We will miss Graeme’s no-nonsense approach in the studio – matched only by his playing style.”
Fans reacted on social media to the news, with one saying: “Can’t say I always agreed with Souness, but can’t fault his passion and perspective on the game.
“Sky Sports will be a lesser place without his input. Happy 70th birthday next week and all the best for the future.”
Following Souness’ punditry retirement, SunSport has taken a look back at some of his most memorable moments on our TV screens.
The Pogba affair
Souness seemingly always had a bee in his bonnet about Pogba.
But, even though he drew Jamie Redknapp and Gary Neville in heated debates about the World Cup winner, it was a moment with affable Micah Richards that was most surprising.
It came during a discussion on old comments made by Pogba’s former agent Mino Raiola about the Frenchman’s future at Man Utd. The playmaker would, of course, get his move in the end.
But the pair spoke over each other and gesticulated furiously as they tried to make their points – while Souness even turned his back at one point.
Richards suggested Raiola had made comments without Pogba’s say-so but ex-Liverpool man Souness was having none of it.
He blasted: “Not a chance, not a chance. He’s echoing the thoughts of the player.”
Grealish ain’t all that
“He’s a good player, not a great player,” Souness has said of Man City’s £100million man Jack Grealish.
For Graeme, the former Aston Villa playmaker has yet to do it for Pep Guardiola’s side.
And, during his punditry, he’s let everyone know it. Jack’s not immune to it either.
Grealish hit back at those comments while away on England duty by insisting: “I don’t know what his problem is, he always criticises me.”
Amusingly, Souness retorted on talkSPORT: “I’d love a night out with him.
“I’m not sure I could stay with him but I think I would enjoy a night out with him.”
Grealish has seemingly taken him up on his offer. He wrote on social media, “🤣🤣 let’s do it!! As long as I can bring Pogba as a +1.”
Beef with Mourinho
The Special One and Graeme clashed over Man Utd’s playing style, as well as fixture congestion.
“I have seen in the football media that certain pundits cannot understand why our players are tired,” Mourinho moaned his programme notes.
“A pundit is not honest if they cannot forget their colours or if they try to hide the truth from their audience. It’s not my fault if their managerial career was very poor.”
But Souness hit back after they beat Ajax in the Europa League final.
“They have turned up in Stockholm, and dug out a result playing the kind of football that is not Manchester United, that’s my biggest beef with them,” he said.
“They don’t attempt to get on the ball, and don’t play enough football for me. If you’re one of the big clubs in the world, which they obviously are, you have to play better football.
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“They won’t win the big trophies playing like that, against the better teams they won’t win the big trophies. You won’t win our league playing like that. They don’t play enough football.”
Souness later said that the only reason Man Utd went with Mourinho was because rivals Man City had a Pep Guardiola, and the Red Devils needed a big name manager.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
