GRAEME SOUNESS: I'm praying for Alan Hansen as he fights for his life. The best of men, he is a rascal with a ruthless sense of humour

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Like everyone, I was shocked to hear the news that my very good friend Alan Hansen was 本気で ill this week.

It's a desperate time for his wife Janet, his children Adam and Lucy and everybody who is の近くに to him.

I'm praying, I don't know who to, but I'm praying that he will be around soon to return to his usual p*** taking 義務s.

Alan is a rare 産む／飼育する in life as I don't know anyone who has a bad word to say about him.

The best footballing centre-支援する ever. He's a rascal with a ruthless sense of humour. 広大な／多数の／重要な company, a 広大な／多数の／重要な story teller... and 明らかに a 広大な／多数の／重要な memory.

Alan Hansen (権利), pictured with fe llow Liverpool legends Kenny Dalglish (centre) and Graeme Souness (left) at BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2023

Hansen (centre) is a rare 産む／飼育する and nobody has a bad word to say about him. Here, he is pictured after winning the 肩書を与える with Liverpool in 1983

His recollection of events can be different to 地雷 but he always tells a story with such 広大な／多数の／重要な 信用／信任 that I go away thinking 'he must be 権利 then'. He always seems so 保証するd.

If ever there was a 不一致 in the dressing room, it was always Kenny Dalglish and I who were the gobby ones, and if ever there was any 抵抗, the 審議 would always be 削減（する） short by Big Al's interjection. All it took was a customary shake of the 長，率いる and a little acerbic comment. He was the subtle one out of the three of us. His short, 知識人 介入 would stop the 審議 in its 跡をつけるs and Kenny and I would 勝利，勝つ the argument. That's teamwork. We were very tight - although I think these days you would have the other players running off to the Human 資源s department to complain they were 存在 選ぶd on!

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Gordon Strachan 支払う／賃金s 尊敬の印 to Alan Hansen, 69, with his former team-mate 本気で ill in hospital

We always used to have the 'Three J ocks picture' every season with every トロフィー we won. Phil Thompson, Phil Neal, Terry McDermott and Emlyn Hughes used to try and get on the pictures but we'd 押し進める them away to make sure we had our own little snapshot of the moment: 'Jocks Only'. Three 広大な／多数の／重要な friends together. In later years, Steve Nicol and Gary Gillespie would be 許すd on them too.

You can reel off whatever 指名するs you want but 信用 me, Alan was the best footballing centre-支援する ever. He was a midfield player in disguise. Someone you couldn't dispossess in a telephone box.

He'd 運動 me mad at times. I'd lose my patience and snap: 'any danger you are going to start passing me the 血まみれの ball?' And he would turn and say 'Why should I pass it to you when I can do it better?'

He was such a natural 競技者. He loves his ゴルフ, he was a good squash player too. He would have been good at any sport that he 手配中の，お尋ね者 to dedicate himself to.

Before a game, in the dressing room, we'd all be doing our individual warm-ups and he'd be sat, 脚s crossed, singing Billy Joel songs, 'Don't go Changing' and all that, reading the programme from cover to cover. Then, when the bell rang to go out and play, he'd stand up and appear to have the stiffest 支援する ever, pulling an agonising 直面する as he straightened himself up, then, within five minutes of the start of the game, he's giving the 対立's quickest player a 長，率いる start and still winning the race.

Hansen was the subtle one of the trio, pictured 解除するing the European Cup in 1981

He was 雷 quick.

He'd later say he was a 捕らえる、獲得する of 神経s before a game but you could never tell then. Half an hour before a football match and he looked like he didn't have a care in the world.

Whatever happened, Alan rarely looked ruffled.

We could be playing on a 農業者's field of a pitch. 示す Lawrenson would be covered 長，率いる to toe in mud after five minutes and yet, after 90 minutes, Alan would look like he'd just stepped out of 示すs and Spencer's shop window, not a speck of dirt on him. Lawro would love a 取り組む but Alan never went to ground. He was always reading the game, thinking ahead, a wonderful player.

People talk about playing high lines of defence, Liverpool were doing that in the '70s because we had him in our team, and we knew he could give anyone a three-yard 長，率いる start and catch them.

Manchester 部隊d 支持者s would think Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand were the best 共同, Chelsea fans may say John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho, but as good as they were, there has never been a better 共同 than Alan and Lawro. One was very 積極的な, the other didn't need to be. They were way ahead of their time. If you want to see a 防御の masterclass just look up 1984 European Cup final - Roma in Rome - when they never gave their World Cup winning 今後s a 匂いをかぐ.

Hansen, 69, is 本気で ill and fighting for his life, remaining in hospital?

Alan always seemed too smart on and off the pitch. Even when he is bluffing, he's that 納得させるing you believe him. He is a man you can always count on.

Over 30 years ago, when I had my heart 操作／手術, he was the first one to 運動 across to Manchester to see me in hospital.

If I was 推定する／予想するing sympathy I was in for a shock. His humour is ruthless. He just took the mickey out of me as if I'd had a minor 手続き. That sharp wit, you're a 勇敢に立ち向かう man to take him on. I just had to laugh and take it on the chin. That banter we had and that we used to 株 at Liverpool, those are days I wish I could live all over again. He is just the best of men. I just can't believe he is fighting for his life.

MAN UNITED MUST FIND ANOTHER WAY?

Erik ten Hag knows his team have to play very differentl y next year.

There has to be a 完全にする sea change in their 業績／成果s or he won't be there beyond Christmas.

The fact they have been interviewing other people for his 職業 tells you everything. Winning the FA Cup was papering over the 割れ目s of the fact that last season was just 容認できない. The 統計（学） を強調する that.

He can't be relying on the two 十代の少年少女s in Alejandro Garnacho or Kobbie Mainoo to carry the fight, 部隊d need to buy players and get a 完全に different tune out of the 存在するing ones.

There's no 疑問 his position has been 土台を崩すd by the way it has been 扱うd by the owners but he has now got to find a way of getting his players believing in him again.

Erik ten Hag? will understand that Manchester 部隊d have to play 異なって?

FRIENDLIES ARE A WASTE OF TIME?

Don't read anything into England's 敗北・負かす by アイスランド last week.

For England's players it was a game they could have done without, 危険ing 傷害 so の近くに to a major tournament. For アイスランド it was the 最高潮の場面 of their careers, having the chance to （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域 England at Wembley with the world watching.

I was encouraged not to play in international friendlies as a player. Then as a 経営者／支配人 going to watch them for 見込みのある 調印s I fancied I soon 設立する out you never learn anything from them. Friendlies are a waste of time. Nothing has 減らすd my 見解（をとる） that England will sail through the group 行う／開催する／段階s.?

Gareth Southgate's England will 巡航する through the group 行う／開催する／段階 of Euro 2024

They have 欠陥／不足s in defence, and the fitness of John 石／投石するs will be important, but England are a very dangerous team because of their attacking players.?

There's talk of Serbia 存在 physical - I don't think that 適用するs any more with today's 公式の／役人s. I fully 推定する／予想する to see England in the final on July 14.