Rangers and Liverpool legend Graeme Souness fights back tears as he explains why he crossing Channel for charity

An emotional Graeme Souness fought back the tears as he revealed why he is swimming the Channel in his life after punditry.
Graeme Souness stepped away from punditry work with Sky Sports earlier this month.Graeme Souness stepped away from punditry work with Sky Sports earlier this month.
Graeme Souness stepped away from punditry work with Sky Sports earlier this month.

The 70-year-old former Scotland, Rangers and Liverpool midfielder stepped away from the Sky Sports studio earlier this month after 15 years with the broadcaster and it was revealed last week that he is informal talks with Rangers over working with the club in an ambassadorial role. However, in the short term, he is crossing the Channel for charity as he bids to raise funds for DEBRA, which supports people living with Epidemolysis Bullosa. EB is an incurable degenerative condition that attacks children's organs and development, causing the skin to become fragile and come out with painful blisters.

Souness explained why he is taking on 21-mile challenge in an interview with BBC Breakfast, having to stop at one point as he welled up recalling when he met a 14-year-old girl Isla with the condition. He said: "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.

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“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.”