Graeme Souness has revealed he has stepped away from his punditry duties to try and swim the English Channel - to raise vital funds for charity.
The former Rangers and Liverpool boss, 70, left his role on Sky Sports earlier this month after a decade of serving as a pundit.
Speculation had linked Souness with a return to Rangers in some capacity after a coffee with CEO James Bisgrove.
However, Souness' full focus is on attempting to swim the Channel crossing to raise funds for DEBRA’s A Life Free of Pain appeal.
The charity supports people living with the rare, extremely painful, genetic skin blistering condition Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB).
Souness' motivation for the challenge - which could take up to 16 hours - comes after meeting Isla Grist, 14, who is living with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa.
A teary Souness explained: "It's the most horrendous disease. If you're inflicted by it you must wake up every morning and say why me. It's a desperate situation.
"And then the parents have to deal with that. And that's why we're doing this."
The football legend added: “From the time I have spent with Isla and her family, I have seen first-hand the extreme pain this devastating condition causes and the daily challenges it creates for them.
“I wanted to do something that could make a difference to Isla’s life and to the lives of so many others living with EB and the slightly crazy idea of swimming the English Channel was suggested.
“Now I’m not one to walk away from a challenge but this is all new to me; despite living by the sea for the past 16 years, I’ve never been in it, and Isla is the only reason I did.
“Alongside Isla’s dad, Andy, and the rest of the team, I am determined to complete the Channel crossing, to raise awareness of EB, and to raise the funds that DEBRA so desperately needs.
“Please support me, every pound raised gets us one step closer to a world where no one suffers with the pain of EB”.
A DEBRA statement on the fundraiser read: "Football legend, and TV pundit, Graeme Souness, is playing his part to stop the pain of EB this summer by swimming the English Channel!
"Graeme, who has faced many a foe during his sporting career, will be taking on the formidable 21-mile stretch of water that lies between Dover and Calais.
"Although Graeme won’t be on his own (he’ll be part of a 6-person team), he’ll still need all his physical and mental strength and the support of as many people back home as possible to get him to the shores of France, in a swim that could take up to 16 hours!"
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