Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has paid tribute to Graeme Souness after he announced he was leaving his punditry role with Sky Sports.
Souness has worked for the broadcaster for the past 15 years, becoming a familiar face in the studio. The decision to stand him down was announced on Sky Sports after Liverpool ’s dramatic 4-3 win over Tottenham at Anfield on Sunday.
The ex-midfielder and manager made a name for himself as a fiery pundit. He has never been shy to voice his opinions, or clash with fellow pundits when things become heated in the studio. That style has brought some memorable moments over the years, but it is clear from the tributes that the 69-year-old has another side off the camera.
“Graeme Souness was one of the greatest players this country has ever seen, the same goes for him as a pundit!” Carragher tweeted. “I’ve never seen anyone else have his authority in a studio, you’ll be missed Souey.”
Former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch added: “What a game that was today and what a man Greame Souness is. Had the privilege to meet him a few times and loved his company. I also forgive him for hammering me when he caught me doing Pilates on holiday”.
Presenter Ed Chamberlain tweeted: “I loved working with Souey. I admit to being terrified at times & couldn’t really argue when he said “when we were winning everything”. A leader, top, top pundit & great man.”
The decision was announced by Sky Sports presenter Kelly Cates on Sunday evening, with Jamie Redknapp and Robbie Keane then giving him a round of applause. While fighting back the tears, Souness then gave an emotional speech.
“I’m going to miss you guys, the guys behind the scenes, our make-up girl, I’ll miss you all,” he said. “You know, for me, I decided that football management wasn’t for me any more. I had the wrong temperament for it, the wrong personality.
“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.”
He added: “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.
“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.”
