Graeme Souness

At 71 years old, Graeme Souness has this physical status:

Graeme James Souness (born 6 May 1953) is a retired professional football player and manager in Scotland. Souness, a midfielder, was the captain of the thriving Liverpool team of the early 1980s, player-manager of Rangers in the late 1980s, and Scotland's national team captain.

He has also appeared for Tottenham Hotspur, Middlesbrough, and Sampdoria. Souness' managerial career began when he joined Rangers, leading them to three Scottish titles and four league cups before he joined Liverpool as manager.

He went on to be the manager of Galataray, Southampton, Torino, Benfica, Blackburn Rovers, and Newcastle United.

Souness' life and views outside football

Danielle Wilson, Souness' first wife, married in 1984 after meeting in 1982 and 1982. He adopted her teenage daughter and they had three more children together. They separated in 1989 and then divorced.

Souness has been married to Karen Souness, his second wife, since 1994. The couple have a son and Souness has two stepchildren from Karen's previous marriage. Lauren, his stepdaughter, works at al-Jazeera as a sports presenter.

Souness sold the family's home in Colinton, Edinburgh, to Fred Goodwin and moved to a newly built Sandbanks, Dorset, Dorset.

Souness revealed that he had been vegan for three years during a discussion about climate change on Sky Sports Super Sunday.

Souness' political views have been criticized at various points in his career.

In 1982, Souness and teammate Sammy Lee appeared in an episode of the BBC's Liverpudlian drama series Boys from the Blackstuff. The series, written by Alan Bleasdale, included a critique of Thatcherism and, in particular, the large number of people living in urban Britain, which was clearly incompatible with Souness's own Conservative politics.

Souness was one of 15 top current and former footballers named in a newspaper advertisement urging "very patriotic Scot to help maintain Scotland's position in the United Kingdom, which has served Scotland well."

"I found him a very personal, cuddly chap who was actually very vulnerable about being a human being with emotions," Souness co-mate Michael Robinson said of Souness in 2016. To this day, he continues to try not to be this charming cuddly person, although he really isn't."

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Playing career

Souness was born in Edinburgh's Saughton Mains area and helped the local team Hearts and Rangers. Souness played for North Merchiston, a local boys' club.

Souness' career began as an apprentice at Tottenham Hotspur under Bill Nicholson. In 1968, he began working as a 15-year-old boy. The teen Souness allegedly told Nicholson he was the best player at the club, despite a lack of first-team opportunities. In a UEFA Cup tie as a replacement, Souness made one first-team appearance for Spurs.

Souness played for the Montreal Olympique in the North American Soccer League during the summer of 1972. He appeared in ten of his squad's 14 games and was named in the league's All-Star team for that season.

In 1972, Spurs sold Souness to Middlesbrough for £30,000. In a 2–1 league loss to Fulham at Craven Cottage on January 6, 1973, he made his first appearance for Middlesbrough. In a 3–0 league victory over Preston North End at Ayresome Park on December 11, 1973, his first goal was scored.

During his tenure as Middlesbrough, Souness' tenacious style earned him acclaim. Middlesbrough finished fourth, two places, and 14 points shy of promotion in his first season. In May 1973, Jack Charlton was appointed Middlesbrough boss, his first managerial role. Bobby Murdoch, a fellow Scot who Souness later cited as a key influence in his playing style, was one of Charlton's first signings. In 1973-1974, the champions of the Second Division were promoted to champions of the Second Division. Souness' power was demonstrated when he scored a hat-trick in the season's last game, an 8-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday.

Souness' playing career is best remembered for his seven seasons with Liverpool, where he gained five League Championships, three European Cups, and four League Cups.

Souness' time at Anfield began in January 1978 as a back-up for veteran Ian Callaghan. Liverpool manager Bob Paisley needed reinforcements after winning his first European Cup in 1977, and all of whom were to contribute significantly to the team's success. Alan Hansen, the central defender, arrived from Partick Thistle for £110,000. Kenny Dalglish, a well-known Scottish international, was signed by Celtic for a then British record fee of £440,000. Souness was the last of the Scottish triumvirate, leaving Middlesbrough under typid circumstances for a club-record fee of £350,000 on January 10, 1978.

Souness' debut in the league came in a 1–0 win over West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns on January 14, 1978. In a 3–1 victory over bitter rivals Manchester United on February 25, 1978, his first goal, a volley from just inside the penalty box, was eventually recognized as fans' goal of the season.

Souness was instrumental in Liverpool's successful European Cup against FC Bruges in 1978, when Kenny Dalglish scored the match's only goal.

Sustained success followed. In seasons 1978–79 and 1979–80, Souness' first League championship medals were won. Souness' second European Cup medal was awarded in 1981 after a 1–0 win over Real Madrid – the start of a campaign in which Souness scored a hat-trick against CSKA Sofia in the quarterfinals.

During one match at Aston Villa, Paisley recalled Souness as the club captain for 1981–82, to the chagrin of former Phil Thompson, who had made some mistakes this season and with whom Paisley had a tense clash. Thompson refused to speak to Souness initially, saying he had "stolen the captaincy" from behind his back. This was the start of many long-running feuds between the two main characters, and it was likely that they would meet in various situations over the years.

Two trophies followed as Liverpool regained the League championship and retained the League Cup, trophies that were successfully defended in seasons 1982–83, as Souness' captaincy. Souness stepped back and demanded that Paisley keep the trophy following the manager's retirement season, after the 2–1 triumph over Manchester United in 1983.

Souness won three trophies between 1983 and 1984. In the 1984 League Cup final replay at Maine Road against Merseyside rival Everton, the first all-Mereyside finalist. He scored the winning goal. Liverpool defeated Romanian champions Dinamo București 3–1 on aggregate for the third season in a row and reached the 1984 European Cup final. Souness cracked the jaw of Dinamo captain Lică Movilescu, who went unpunished by the referee in an ill-tempered first leg at Anfield. Liverpool defeated Roma on penalty shootout, with Souness scoring one of the penalties in the shootout.

Souness' Liverpool career came to an end in 1984 after 358 appearances and 56 goals.

Souness left Liverpool in 1984 and joined Sampdoria for £650,000. Trevor Francis, a Souness and England international who played for the Genoa-based club since 1982, has contributed to a new generation of Italian internationals, including Roberto Mancini, Pietro Vierchowod, and Gianluca Vialli. Sampdoria beat Milan 3–1 in the final, securing the trophy for the first time in club history in his first season. In the first leg of the final, Souness scored the first goal of the game.

Souness' career in Italy came to an end in 1986 as he took up the role of player-manager at Rangers. Ibrox's playing career began inauspiciously. In his first match of the 1986–87 season against Hibernian in Edinburgh, his hometown of Edinburgh, saw him dismissed after two yellow cards in the first 34 minutes.

Disciplinary issues – something that had resurfaced on a few occasions during Souness's career – resurfaced on a number of occasions, but the spell was also plagued by injury. He made 73 appearances for Rangers (50 in the league), scoring three goals before retiring as a player in 1991 at the age of 38. In Rangers' last home match of the 1989-90 season, his last game as a player was at Ibrox, where he came to victory over Dunfermline Athletic.

Souness, a Middlesbrough player, earned his first international cap for Scotland in a 3–0 friendly victory over East Germany at Hampden Park on October 30, 1974. By the time Souness was selected by Scotland's head coach Ally McLeod for the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina, he had only been given six caps. His move to Liverpool raised his profile. Due to injuries, Souness missed Scotland's first two matches, a loss to Peru and a draw with Iran. He was selected for the final group match against the Netherlands. Souness defeated Scotland 3–2, but Scotland was still barred from the tournament on goal difference.

Souness appeared in two more World Cups. Souness appeared in all three group stage matches for the first time in 1982 in Spain. In the final game before elimination, his first international goal appeared, a 2–2 draw with the Soviet Union in Málaga.

In 1986 in Mexico, Souness was the last World Cup player to play for the Rangers, when Souness was first named player/manager. Souness suffered in losses to Denmark and West Germany. He later admitted that he had failed in those games due to his high altitude and losing a significant amount of weight and power. Souness was suspended by caretaker Alex Ferguson for Scotland's last match against Uruguay. Souness said in his autobiography, The Management Years, and press interviews that this was the only time in his entire career that he had been barred. Ferguson was especially sorry and diplomatic in his discussion with Souness at night when he broke the news to him, as he held Souness in high regard. After the 1986 World Cup, his international career came to an end. He had appeared in almost 12 years, scoring four goals.

Coaching and managerial career

Souness was appointed Rangers' first manager in April 1986 after he was hired by Sampdoria for a £300,000 fee and replacing Jock Wallace. Rangers' founder, Lawrence Marlborough, Souness, and club chairman David Holmes, embarked on a bold plan to reclaim the sport's ascendancy in recent years, with all of the Scottish league titles since then being claimed by Celtic, as well as the recently formed Aberdeen and Dundee United. Souness, a 33-year-old man, came to Ibrox with a reputation as one of Europe's top midfielders, as shown by his success with Liverpool and, in a lesser manner, with Sampdoria. His signing was unusual in that Scottish clubs had not been able to sign top-quality internationals, including Scots, from other leagues. Scottish clubs often found themselves in a position to sell their top players to English clubs, including Kenny Dalglish (sold from Aberdeen to Manchester United in 1977), and Frank McAvennie (sold from St Mirren to West Ham United in 1985).

With a string of major signings from English clubs, what was popularly described as the "Souness Revolution" began. This marked a change in Scotland's most able footballers' playing in England, which was notably different from the previous pattern. Terry Butcher, the captain of Ipswich Town and a well-known England international, and Chris Woods of Norwich City, England's second-choice goalkeeper, were among his first signings. Trevor Stevens, Gary Stevens, Trevor Francis, and Ray Wilkins were among the first English internationals to arrive in Subsequent seasons. Souness was able to attract Europe at a time (1985-1990), when English clubs were banned from Europe in the aftermath of the Heysel Stadium disaster. Rangers profited from this by embarking on a signing program that brought them relative wealth to the table for the first time with England's most influential clubs.

Rangers were able to dominate Scottish football after Souness resurgently. They won the Championship and the League Cup in 1986-87, beating Celtic 2–1 in the final. They remained the League Cup in 1987–88, beating Aberdeen on penalties after extra time, although Celtic lost their league title to Celtic. Two more Championships were scheduled to follow, this time in consecutive seasons (1988-1989 and 1989–90), as well as two more League Cup victories over Aberdeen 3–2 in 1988–90, and Celtic 2–1 in 1990–91 (after extra time) in 1990–91. Rangers were winning their third league title in five seasons when Souness left Rangers to take over as Liverpool's manager in April 1991. He was recalled by his assistant Walter Smith four games before the end of what was supposed to be another championship-winning season. Under Smith's leadership, Rangers continued to win six more league titles in succession, as well as a slew of domestic cups.

Despite the fact that Souness had been particularly successful in his time at Ibrox, his tenure as a boss had not been without controversy. In 1989, Mo Johnston's most notable act was the signing of his name. Rangers, who were primarily a Protestant team, had a policy of refusing to register Roman Catholics for the majority of the twentieth century. Although there were several Rangers members of the Catholic faith, especially before World War I, sectarian divisions erupted, none of them were as prominent as Johnston. He had played for Celtic in the past and had hoped to rejoin them from Nantes until Souness declined to sign him. In a press conference at Celtic Park, Johnston publicly declared that he would return to Celtic, but Rangers claimed he had signed him days later. Souness said that faith was not a problem for him; his first wife was a Catholic, and his children from that marriage were baptized Catholic. Johnston's main concern was that he was a good player, but he also believed that the transfer would hurt Celtic.

The Scottish Football Association (SFA) and Scottish League also scrutinized Souness, more than once. Souness came to loggerheads with both companies, prompting Souness to be banned in a controversial way by naming himself as a substitute, giving access as a player to the dugout. Souness was fined £5,000 by the SFA for breaching a touchline ban on May 1990 after television photos showed him yelling at his players on the pitch. Souness was later to claim that one of the primary factors causing his departure from Ibrox was a fight with government.

"I look back on my conduct and antics at Ibrox, I was out of order," Souness said of his time as Rangers' boss in 2009. I was obnoxious and difficult to cope with." He was boss of 261 games for Rangers in all competitions, winning 125 (64%) of 193 league fixtures.

Kenny Dalglish, who had worked with Souness at Liverpool, resigned as Liverpool manager in February 1991, despite winning three league titles and two FA Cups in the previous five seasons, and with Liverpool still in contention for both trophies when he resigned. Following Dalglish's abrupt departure, a long-serving coach Ronnie Moran was placed in provisional charge, but he did not want to leave the job permanently. Souness was appointed Liverpool manager on 16 April after having signed a five-year contract, leaving Rangers with four games of their season remaining.

Souness took over at Anfield right before Liverpool relinquished their English league title to Arsenal. In his first six months as boss, he reorganised his team, bringing in Dean Saunders, as well as defenders Mark Wright and Rob Jones, as well as midfielder Mark Walters. Steve McManaman, a 19-year-old midfielder who made his debut under Dalglish in December 1990, was given a permanent spot in the team, as well as a debut to teenage midfielder Jamie Redknapp, one of Dalglish's final signings. Robbie Fowler, a 17-year-old striker, received a professional contract at the end of the campaign.

Liverpool seldom looked like serious title contenders during the 1991–92 season, but Manchester United and Leeds United quickly became a two-horse match. Leeds eventually won the championship, while Liverpool came in sixth place. The guys returned to European competition following the 1985 Heysel tragedy and were eliminated by Genoa in the UEFA Cup quarterfinals. They were only in contention for the FA Cup by April 1992.

In April 1992, Souness underwent major heart surgery. Liverpool's FA Cup semi-final against Portsmouth, which Liverpool needed a replay and penalties to win. In the case of a victory for Liverpool, an article would have been published in the Sun, a British tabloid, with Souness commemorating the win and his own successful surgery. Souness, a patient in the hospital ward, was photographed adoring his woman's health and his team's triumph. The interview had been supposed to be published alongside the match report on April 14, 1992, but the game's lateness meant that the deadline for publication was postponed, and the newspaper, with interview and photograph, went in on April 15th – the third anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. Liverpool fans reacted angrily after learning that the interview was conducted with The Sun, a newspaper that had been ridiculed and strongly shunned on Merseyside after its inaccurate coverage of the tragedy. Souness had banned Liverpool players from attending The Sun, according to Souness himself. Despite the fact that he apologised at the time, Souness has since stated that he may have resigned there and then. Fans of Souness were persistently advising that you resign or be fired. Souness qualified for the 1992 FA Cup Final, when Liverpool beat Sunderland 2–0 against Souness despite his doctors' instructions.

Souness' 1992–93 was much more difficult. He sold Dean Saunders to Aston Villa right before the season began. Although Saunders was a key player in Villa's near-successful title defense, his replacement Paul Stewart was a huge disappointment, scoring just one league goal out of 32 appearances over the next two seasons, suffering with injuries as well as inconsistent form. Top scorer Ian Rush was having a difficult time scoring goals, and Liverpool spent the majority of the season in the bottom half of the table. They finished fifth in the final quarter of the season, with Rush scoring 11 Premier League goals, but they were ranked sixth in the final quarter. Any of the cup competitions were unsuccessful this year, which means that Liverpool will see no European action for the club in the 1993–94 season. This was the first time since 1963 that Liverpool had failed to qualify for Europe outside of the six seasons when Liverpool were barred from European competitions.

Souness' pressure continued to grow throughout 1993, but he made one last attempt at revitalizing Liverpool by signing defender Julian Dicks and striker Nigel Clough for the 1993–94 season. The season got off to a promising start, but the disappointing results soon returned and talk of winning the Premier League title was soon dismissed. Souness resigned as Liverpool manager at the end of January 1994, after Liverpool had suffered a dramatic FA Cup departure at the hands of Bristol City. Roy Evans, a long-serving coach, was appointed to him.

Souness' three-year tenure as Liverpool's manager was not remembered with fondness by the club's supporters, but his tenure did bring some success to the club. Steve McManaman, Robbie Fowler, and Jamie Redknapp, among other things, paved the way for Liverpool's improved results over the next five years, allowing them to train and grow in the first team where they went on to spark a revival in fortunes at Anfield.

Souness later revealed in his autobiography The Management Years that he suffered from day one for a variety of reasons. The majority of key players were in their late 20s or early 30s when he took over, and some appeared to have outgrown their peak. They'd have to be replaced eventually, and he doubted some of their aspirations. He says that senior players did not want to listen to him and may have resented his disciplinarian approach to their conduct, as well as that a number of players, including Peter Beardsley and Steve McMahon, demanded for longer terms in their contracts or they would leave the country altogether. Beardsley, McMahon, and Houghton were sold in the end, evidently before suitable substitutes were discovered and these key elements of Kenny Dalglish's great side were not properly updated. Despite not having won any trophies, Souness claimed Ian Rush and Ray Houghton demanded to know why new signings like Mark Wright were earning more money than they did. Peter Beardsley's transfer to Everton was a controversial move, and the player did well for Everton in his two seasons, and continued to do well in the midst of his four seasons with Newcastle United.

Souness also claims that Liverpool chief executive Peter Robinson had warned him that this was a losing team and that they only had one player who was still "great" - John Barnes. Souness was left disappointed by Barnes as he was often suffering from injuries, and in particular a ruptured achilles tendon that was going to influence his playing style and not giving Souness what he wanted from a vintage Barnes at his best, which was what he described as a "devastate winger with pace and goalscoring touch." Barnes had already claimed that he was once the "best player in the United Kingdom," but sadly, he only got glimpses of his brilliance. There were rumors about squabbles in the dressing room between the players and Souness, with Ian Rush advising a Sky Sports interviewer that "teacups were released" were nothing new.

During his time as manager of Anfield, Souness fell out with former Liverpool teammates Tommy Smith and Phil Thompson. Thompson, the reserve team's chief, was overheard angrily criticizing his tactics and purchases behind his back, according to Souness' autobiography. This was overheard by Manchester United assistant manager Brian Kidd, who was so alarmed by Thompson's behaviour that he went from Scotland to Liverpool to tell Souness what had been said. Thompson was fired as a result, and the two have been bitter toward each other since, with Thompson claiming in his own book that he would never speak to Souness again as a result.

Souness referred to a number of incidents when he lost the captaincy to him, including in 1981; Thompson had accused Souness of "stealing the captaincy from his back." They also had an altercation and physical confrontation after Thompson accused Souness of marrying his first wife Danielle only because she was wealthy. Thompson's hostility and mistreatment of him, according to Souness, who may have played a role in Thompson's hostility and shaming of him. During the time of not having a formal role at the club, Tommy Smith had been vocally condemning Souness in local media, and he had been caught socializing with the players and some of the coaches at Anfield. Souness barred Smith from the club area and said he had "made an enemy for life" in his last phone call with Tommy Smith, instructing him not to hang around the official club grounds.

Despite announcements at the end of the 1993-1994 season that Souness would return to Middlesbrough as a manager, a job that was devolving to Bryan Robson.

Souness returned to Istanbul in June 1995 to face Galatasaray's mayor, practically igniting a riot after displaying a large Galataray flag into the middle of the pitch of arch rivals Fenerbahçe after Galatasaray defeated them in the Turkish Cup final on April 24, 1996. The iconic photograph of Souness planting the flag drew comparisons with Turkish hero Ulubatl Hasan, who was killed while planting the Ottoman flag at the end of the Siege of Constantinople. Souness was given the nickname "Ulubatl" Souness, which gave rise to Souness' nickname.

Souness returned to England to lead Southampton, but after one season, he resigned, citing differences with chairman Rupert Lowe. Souness is perhaps best remembered at Southampton for signing Senegalese player Ali Dia, reportedly on the recommendation of former FIFA World Player of the Year and former Liberian striker George Weah. Dia's reputation as a loyal player was not checked by Souness, who sparked a hoax that was not initiated by Dia's companion (who had made the initial call). Diamante, who was playing in the Premier League as a replacement for Matt Le Tissier, failed spectacularly and was eventually suspended. In late October, the defending champions Manchester United defeated them 6–3 at home, a major high point of the season.

In 1996–97, the Saints managed to prevent relegation from the Premier League, finishing 16th, but he resigned toward the end of May 1997. Everton, Liverpool's local rivals, had been interested in replacing Joe Royle, but Howard Kendall was fired for a third time within days.

Souness came back to Italy to become Torino's coach after his time at Southampton. As he arrived, it was clear that he would have no say in what players he would buy or sell as the club's owner made those decisions. Souness served for just four months before being dismissed.

Souness was appointed by Benfica's current chairman, Joo Vale e Azevedo, who promised to restore the club to its former glory in November 1997. In addition to refusing to sign emerging talent Deco, the Scottish manager brought many British players from the Premier League, including defenders Steve Harkness and Gary Charles, midfielders Michael Thomas and Mark Pembridge, and forwards Dean Saunders and Brian Deane. Souness left the club 18 months later, saying, "Vale e Azevedo lies when he looks in the eyes." This guy is dangerous, so be careful.

Souness returned to the English league in March 2000 to become the boss of Blackburn Rovers, winning promotion back to the Premier League in his first full season. Blackburn's four-year tenure as a coach, including Damien Duff, David Dunn, and Matt Jansen, as well as bringing Henning Berg back to the team and signing big name players such as Andy Cole, Tugay Kerimohu, Brad Friedel, and Dwight Yorke. Cole and Jansen scored in Blackburn's 2–1 League Cup final victory over Tottenham Hotspur in February 2002. When they lifted the League Cup, Blackburn were still fighting relegation back to Division One, but they went on to finish 10th in the final table.

Souness guided Blackburn to a sixth-place finish in 2003 and their second straight season in the UEFA Cup, before finishing in 2004 a disappointing 15th.

Souness was fired by Blackburn in September 2004 and became Newcastle United's manager after the expulsion of 71-year-old Sir Bobby Robson a few games into the season.

Despite a promising start to Tyneside, Souness quickly fell out with a number of players, including Welsh international Craig Bellamy, who left the club to join Blackburn after being loaned out to Celtic. Laurent Robert, Olivier Bernard, and Jermaine Jenas were also reported to have left the club on bad terms with Souness. Despite making it to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and the semi-finals, Souness's team came in 14th in the league, their lowest finish since 1993).

Newcastle's 2005–06 season was a slow start, but Souness was hoping that the sale of Michael Owen from Real Madrid on 30 August for a reported club-record fee of £17 million would help the club reclaim control and bring a repeat of the top five finishes from Robson's tenure. Newcastle defeated Sunderland (3–2) in the Tyne-Wear derby, and the team went on to win their next three games, leaving three clean sheets. With six clean sheets in Newcastle's first 12 games of the season, as many as the entire preceding season, Souness seemed to be tightening up in defense. Alan Shearer and Michael Owen's decision to reunite the former England striker pair duo is initially suspicious. Owen, on the other hand, cracked the fifth metatarsal of his right foot when he clashed with England teammate Paul Robinson at 2–0 loss at Tottenham on December 30, 2005, and the club's injury crisis was compounded.

Souness was chastised for an apparent lack of long-term planning at Newcastle, which was centered on a small squad and a consequent vulnerability to injury among his players. Exciting signings, such as Jean-Alain Boumsong for £8 million and Albert Luque for £10 million, didn't live up to expectations. Newcastle United were ranked 15th in the Premier League table and sliding dangerously into a relegation battle by the start of February 2006, despite having invested over £50 million on players in the last 18 months. Souness's boss, Freddy Shepherd, was fired on February 2nd, 2006, and United's Youth Academy Director Glenn Roeder took over.

Goalkeeper Shay Given and defender Robbie Elliott admitted Souness was under pressure at the club as a result of injuries to the squad, but also admitted that the training ground was a hostile environment, with Souness appearing to favour some players over others. Fans never fully accepted Souness, as well as several injuries that contributed to the team's skepticism. Freddy Shepherd, the team's founder and failure against Manchester City was what prompted him to fire Souness, prompting his decision to fire him.

After leaving Newcastle, Souness did not return to football management.

Souness' investigation into football abuses, released in June 2007, was chastised for an apparent lack of consistency:

Souness released a statement denying any wrongdoing: No one was involved.

A clarification was released by the Stevens inquiry after:

The City of London Police searched Newcastle United in July 2007 for migrant issues involving Newcastle, Rangers, and Portsmouth. Jean-Alain Boumsong and Amdy Faye were among a list of 17 transfers that were not cleared by Quest, including Jean-Alain Boumsong and Amdy Faye. Particularly the Boumsong transaction was so bizarre that it was widely discussed at the time. Souness was in his first transfer window as Newcastle's boss four months after replacing Sir Bobby Robson as boss. Boumsong was his first big signing, and Souness confirmed Jonathan Woodgate would be replaced in the Newcastle defense, although the Newcastle defense had forfeited several leads earlier in the season.

Boumsong was well-known before his transfer from Auxerre to Rangers on a free transfer. Robson had travelled to France to watch him, but he turned down the opportunity to sign Boumsong. Boumsong was also interested in Liverpool. In a pre-season game against Rangers, Robson's doubts were confirmed when Boumsong named Alan Shearer. Shearer came off to talk dismissive of Boumsong's physical fitness, and he later referred to him as being on television for the first time.

As Boumsong's debut against Yeading in the FA Cup, skepticism about the transfer soared. Willie McKay, the agent involved in the Boumsong and Faye transfers, was the agent for the Boumsong and Faye transfers. Quest released the following statement about McKay's business on November 7: Quest's dealings were confirmed on November 7:

Career after management

Since his time in academia and Ireland, Souness has worked as a television analyst in the United Kingdom and Ireland. He is now one of the top analysts on Sky Sports coverage of the Premier League, regularly appearing on the Super Sunday show featuring the biggest head-to-head games, and he was one of the key pundits on the UEFA Champions League until they lost the privileges in 2015. Souness has been working for television3 in Ireland and beIN Sports in Qatar, mainly during international summer tournaments and Champions League game weeks. He also appears on Sky Sports coverage of the League Cup and Scotland internationals.

Souness has appeared on RTÉ's live coverage of the UEFA Champions League, as well as their highlights show Premier Soccer on Saturday, covering the Premier League. He was also seen regularly on RTÉ covering the Republic of Ireland's coverage of national football team internationals. Souness was an integral part of RTÉ Sport's coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, as well as Johnny Giles, Eamon Dunphy, Liam Brady, Ronnie Whelan, Ronnie Whelan, Denis Irwin, Ossie Ardiles, and Dietmar Hamann.

"Vidic got arrested... sorry, taken apart by Torres at Liverpool," Souness said during an analysis of the World Cup match between Ghana and Serbia on June 13, 2010, prompting RTÉ to censure Souness and publicly apologise after a commercial break.

During coverage of the Anti-Glazers demonstrations by Manchester United supporters at Old Trafford on 2 May, Souness was accused of "lazy punditry" by fellow Sky Sports pundit and fellow ex-Liverpool player Jamie Carragher. Souness also stated that the protests were motivated by an apparent lack of success on the field since 2013, not any dislike toward the owners. Carragher retaliated in this case, citing FC United's founding and the 2010 protests as reasons for Souness' remarks.

Souness, a pundit, is also known for his frequent critique of Manchester United's Paul Pogba. Pogba is unaware of what he has done to deserve such abuse. Rather, he says he has no idea of Souness' existence.

Following the departure of Iain Dowie, the chairman of Crystal Palace, Simon Jordan, said in June 2006 he wanted to discuss with Souness a part of the team's leadership. However, no job was found.

Following Sammy Lee's departure in October 2007, Souness seemed to be the front-runner for the Bolton Wanderers boss's position, but she resigned after it became clear that the position was going to be given to Gary Megson. Souness was charged with taking over the Republic of Ireland's national team at the same time.

Following Sam Allardyce's departure and the club's new ownership and board, Souness said in January 2008 that he would be able to return to Newcastle United as manager. However, United recruited Harry Redknapp and Kevin Keegan for the position, with Keegan shortly after being hired; Souness's interest in the position has never been revealed by the club.

Souness was linked to a return to the club as manager following his dismissal of Blackburn Rovers boss Paul Ince's dismissal on December 16, 2008. However, Sam Allardyce was sacked as the new boss on December 17th, after Souness claimed that he had no contact at all from Blackburn about the position.

Souness was one of the names associated with the vacant manager's post after the dismissal of Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate on October 21, 2009. Gordon Strachan was installed as the new boss.

Souness, who was partnered with the Scotland national team in November 2009, has no desire to return to management at any level.

Souness was announced by the Daily Mirror in January 2007 that it was going to take over Wolverhampton Wanderers, a Football League Championship club. He attended a Wolves game as a VIP and made a formal bid for the club, demanding to see the club's finances. The Wolves board rejected the bid, feeling that it undervalued the club. Souness did not make a repeat bid for the club, and it was later sold to another investor.

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