Liverpool and Scotland legend Graeme Souness was joined by his wife Karen at Windsor Castle today as he received a CBE for services to football and charity.
The tough-tackling midfielder made 358 appearances for the Reds in an era of dominance which saw the side lift five league titles and three European Cups.
The serial winner was among the first to search for new challenges in other countries, making a high-profile move to Italian side Sampdoria before managing the likes of Galatasaray and Benfica.
He won 54 caps for his national team, sporting the captain’s armband 27 times, before embarking on a 20-year managerial career. He has since become one of the most recognisable pundits and has raised more than £1million for charity.
Mail Sport columnist Souness appeared on the King’s Birthday Honours list in June and the 71-year-old collected the prestigious award this morning.
Former Liverpool star Graeme Souness collected a CBE at Windsor Castle with wife Karen
MailSport’s Souness was given the honour for services to football and charity
The tough-tackling midfielder lifted three European Cups with Liverpool including in 1984
The footballing legend looked delighted as he collected his CBE at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on Tuesday.
After he was first named as a recipient of the honour over the summer, Souness thanked the team at DEBRA UK, a charity supporting people living with rare skin disease epidermolysis bullosa (EB).
He said: ‘I am delighted and humbled to receive this honour.
‘It has been a life-changing few years working so closely with DEBRA UK as vice-president and none more so than this last year when I was part of a great team, swimming the English Channel to raise vital funds and awareness for DEBRA UK and EB.
‘It is wonderful that the King has honoured me with a CBE and it is important to acknowledge the whole team which works tirelessly to find solutions to the intolerable pain, itch and inflammation of this horrendous condition.
‘This is for my friend Isla [Grist, who has the disease] and everyone else living with EB.’
Souness was born in Edinburgh in 1953 and grew up supporting Hearts and Rangers.
In 1968, he signed his first professional contract under legendary Tottenham manager Bill Nicholson but made just one substitute appearance in a tricky spell at White Hart Lane.
Souness (pictured, holding the league trophy) enjoyed the glory days of his career at Liverpool with fellow Scots Alan Hansen (centre) and Kenny Dalglish (right)
Souness celebrating the opening goal of the European Cup final against Roma in 1984
As captain, Souness enjoyed a successful couple of seasons including a league title in 1984
He gained a reputation for his skill and competitiveness after a big move from Middlesborough
A brief loan spell at Canadian outfit Montreal Olympique in 1972 showed his appetite for jetsetting from a young age and the ambitious move proved something of a breakthrough as the Scot earned a place in the league’s All-Star team of the season.
This led to a £30,000 transfer to Middlesborough in the same year and Souness soon made a name for himself on Teeside as a competitive and skillful centre-midfielder under the key influences of rookie manager Jack Charlton and fellow Scot Bobby Murdoch.
After six years at Boro, which saw them get promoted to the First Division and finish seventh in 1975-75, Souness moved to Liverpool for £350,000 and embarked on the halcyon days of his career, winning a glut of trophies in a six-year spell.
On arrival, he formed a Scottish trio with fellow new recruits Alan Hansen and Kenny Dalglish as Bob Paisley looked to bolster his squad.
Just a few months into his stint at Anfield, Souness lifted the European Cup, with his pinpoint pass to Dalglish providing the only goal in the final against FC Bruges at Wembley Stadium as the Reds retained the trophy.
Liverpool continued their era of dominance with Souness providing an imposing presence in midfield, lifting the First Division trophy in the next two seasons before winning the European Cup once again in 1981.
Their run to a 1-0 victory over Real Madrid in the final was dependent on the Scot’s electrifying hat-trick in the quarter-final against CSKA Sofia.
Paisley then handed Souness the captaincy in recognition for his leadership and fine performances in a move which triggered a long-term feud with previous skipper Phil Thompson.
Souness then showed his desire to branch out joining England’s Trevor Francis at Sampdoria
He ended his career as player-manager of Rangers (pictured, with Walter Smith in 1988)
He captained his national team 27 times and represented them at three World Cups (pictured, playing against Wales in 1979)
He created one of football’s enduring images as he planted a Galatasaray flag in the pitch at Fenerbahce’s ground in 1996
He went on to manage a string of English sides including Newcastle, who he left in 2006
Sporting the armband, Souness led the Reds to a double of the First Division and the League Cup in Paisley’s farewell season.
In the following year, the Reds went one better and lifted another European Cup to complete a memorable treble with Souness scoring a penalty in the winning shoot-out over Roma.
Arguably at the top of his game, Souness shocked fans by joining England international Trevor Francis at Sampdoria for a whopping £650,000 and helped the Italian side to their first Coppa Italia in their history.
The British duo complemented well with an exciting group of young Italian stars including Roberto Mancini and Gianluca Vialli and Souness scored a key goal in the first leg of the final.
On top of his successful and eventful club career, Souness featured in a Scotland side experiencing something of a golden era with the side qualifying for World Cups in 1978, 1982 and 1986.
The midfielder retired in 1991 while player-manager at Rangers after a mixed spell at the club which saw his appearances limited by injury and disciplinary issues.
His managerial performance was slightly more successful north of the border with Souness leading his boyhood club to three Scottish League trophies and four League Cups.
The Scot also started the tradition of having a picture of Queen Elizabeth II hung up in the club’s dressing room.
Souness pictured at the BBC Sports Personality Of The Year 2023 with Dalglish and Hansen
Souness pictured at Wimbledon with his wife Karen Souness in 2024
He is known by many as an honest and insightful pundit including with Sky Sports who he left in 2023
Unfortunately, his dream job of managing Liverpool signalled a sea-change in English football with Sir Alex Ferguson’s Man United taking over as the dominant force in the game, with Souness only lifting one FA Cup trophy in three years.
He also patrolled the dugout, with his signature glare, at Galatasaray, Torino and Benfica.
In Turkey, he created one of the sport’s most iconic images when he planted his club’s flag into the centre circle of the pitch of arch rivals Fenerbahçe after beating them in the Turkish Cup final in 1996.
The action seemed to replicate that of Turkish hero Ulubatli Hasan, who was killed as he planted the Ottoman flag at the conclusion of the Siege of Constantinople, leading the manager to be nicknamed ‘Ulubatli Souness’.
His spell at Southampton the following year was equally tumultuous with Souness famously falling foul of a hoax which claimed Senegalese player Ali Dia was a star in the making and had come recommended by Ballon d’Or winner George Weah.
The call had been made by Dia’s friend and the signing could barely control the ball in his sole appearance after coming on for Saints legend Matt Le Tissier.
Souness followed this up with a successful stint at Blackburn, which saw the side lift the League Cup and finish tenth and sixth with a talented young team, and a tricky spell at Newcastle, which finished with the club needing to be saved from relegation.
A whole generation will remember Souness as an abrasive and honest Sky Sports pundit who rigidly gave his views on the game for almost two decades until he departed in 2023. He continues to pen columns for Mail Sport.
He has raised recently money for DEBRA UK which supports those with epidermolysis bullosa
Souness was also recognised for his charitable endeavours and he swam the Channel last year for DEBRA UK
The star’s Channel swim raised more than £1m for the EB charity in 2023
His CBE is also recognition for his extensive charitable work, particularly for DEBRA, and he swam the Channel in June 2023 and raised £1m for the organisation.
Souness describes EB as the ‘cruelest disease out there’ and his involvement in the charity was triggered after meeting 16-year-old Isla.
After his swim, he said: ‘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.
‘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.’
