Graeme Souness has revealed former managers including Jock Stein and Sir Alex Ferguson influenced his "aggressive" punditry style after stepping back from Sky Sports duties.
The former Liverpool and Rangers midfielder has been a fixture of the broadcaster's Premier League for 15 years having started his media work after a spell as Newcastle United manager back in 2008, but he announced he was leaving live on air after Liverpool 's 4-3 win over Tottenham to a round of applause in the studio. Souness, who turns 70 today has opened up on the next chapter in his life.
He issued an apology to the likes of Jamie Redknapp, Gary Neville and Micah Richards who he has been involved in heated debates with throughout the years - admitting to a heavy influence from his days on the pitch that he took with him to the booth. Souness name-checked Stein and Sir Alex, both who he worked under during his time as Scotland captain.
Writing for The Daily Mail, Souness said: "I celebrate my 70th birthday today. Would you believe, there are still nights when I dream I am a footballer. I occasionally have to apologise for kicking my wife when I'm asleep!
"It happens once a month, when I wake up and, for a nano-second, I think I'm going to training. What does this tell me? I'm still in love with the game. I always will be.
"It is why me leaving Sky Sports this week is not the end of anything. It is just the start of a new chapter. I've not hung up my boots and I'm very much open for business. I really enjoy doing this column and I have always worked on the premise, 'If you don't use it, you'll lose it'.
"I like to feel I'm still taking part in the game of life. It's a good thing that you get out of your comfort zone on a regular basis, and I'll never allow myself to get cosy. But I have to say, the messages I have had this week have really surprised me, in the nicest possible way.
"Football guys and ex-players who aren't necessarily friends have gone out of their way to get my number. That means a lot. I look back on my Sky years as just fantastic.
"I was getting my football fix by going to great stadiums, seeing great games and enjoying great atmospheres. Once off air, I could go home and sleep at night. It was all the good bits from football without the bad bits.
"I realised after leaving Newcastle in 2006 that management was no longer for me, because of my type of personality. I couldn't let things go if I thought someone was not giving me everything.
"People will say I was too confrontational, and I'll accept that criticism. That was the way I learned my football from true greats of the game Jock Stein, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, Ronnie Moran, Jack Charlton and Sir Alex Ferguson. I went to football's equivalent of Cambridge and Oxford.
"But that doesn't work any more. You have to be a diplomat more than I could ever hope to be in my lifetime. I've had to apply the same discipline to my media work, although sometimes you end up being a tad aggressive in making your point. I must apologise if I ever went too far!"
READ NEXT
