Graeme Souness facts for kids

"Souness" redirects here. For the 1950s footballer and cricketer, see Jim Souness.

Quick facts for kids
Graeme Souness
CBE
Personal information
Souness in 2001
Date of birth	(1953-05-06) 6 May 1953 (age 72)
Place of birth	Edinburgh, Scotland
Height	5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m)
Playing position	Midfielder
Youth career
	Tynecastle Boys Club & North Merchiston BC
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
1970–1972	Tottenham Hotspur	0	(0)
1972	→ Montreal Olympique (loan)	10	(2)
1972–1978	Middlesbrough	176	(22)
1977	→ West Adelaide (loan)	6	(1)
1978–1984	Liverpool	247	(38)
1984–1986	Sampdoria	56	(8)
1986–1991	Rangers	50	(3)
Total		545	(74)
National team
1974–1986	Scotland	54	(4)
Teams managed
1986–1991	Rangers (player-manager)
1991–1994	Liverpool
1995–1996	Galatasaray
1996–1997	Southampton
1997	Torino
1997–1999	Benfica
2000–2004	Blackburn Rovers
2004–2006	Newcastle United
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Graeme James Souness (born 6 May 1953) is a Scottish former professional football player, manager, and TV expert. He was recently honored with the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) award for his contributions to football and charity.

Graeme Souness was a talented midfielder. He achieved his greatest success playing for Liverpool in the late 1970s and early 1980s. During this time, he helped the team win five First Division titles and three European Cup trophies. He was the team's captain for three seasons before moving to Sampdoria in 1984.

Later, Souness became a player-manager for Rangers. He led the club to three Scottish titles and four League Cups. His last game as a player was in the final minutes of the 1989–90 season.

After Rangers, Souness managed Liverpool for the 1991–92 English First Division season. He also managed other clubs like Galatasaray, Southampton, Torino, Benfica, Blackburn Rovers, and Newcastle United.

For his country, Souness played 54 games for the Scotland national team. He was captain 27 times.

Playing Career: How Graeme Souness Started in Football

Early Days in Edinburgh and Tottenham

Graeme Souness grew up in Saughton Mains, Edinburgh. He supported local teams Hearts and Rangers. As a teenager, he played for a local boys' club called North Merchiston.

Souness began his professional journey as a young player at Tottenham Hotspur. He was under the guidance of manager Bill Nicholson. He signed his first professional contract at 15 in 1968. He felt he was the best player at the club but didn't get many chances to play for the first team. Souness only played once for Spurs, as a substitute in a UEFA Cup match.

In the summer of 1972, Souness played in the North American Soccer League for the Montreal Olympique. He played in 10 games and was named to the league's All-Star team that season.

Time at Middlesbrough F.C.

Tottenham Hotspur sold Souness to Middlesbrough for £30,000 in 1972. He played his first game for Middlesbrough on 6 January 1973. It was a 2–1 league defeat to Fulham. His first goal came on 11 December 1973 in a 3–0 win against Preston North End.

Souness became known for his strong playing style at Middlesbrough. In his first season, Middlesbrough finished fourth. Jack Charlton became Middlesbrough's manager in May 1973. He signed Bobby Murdoch, an experienced Scottish midfielder, who helped Souness develop his game. Middlesbrough won the Second Division championship in 1973–74. Souness showed his importance by scoring three goals (a hat-trick) in the final game of the season, an 8–0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday.

Becoming a Legend at Liverpool F.C.

Graeme Souness is most famous for his seven seasons at Liverpool. There, he won five League Championships, three European Cups, and four League Cups.

Souness joined Liverpool in January 1978. He was brought in to replace the experienced player Ian Callaghan. After winning their first European Cup in 1977, Liverpool manager Bob Paisley signed three Scottish players to strengthen the team. These players were Alan Hansen, Kenny Dalglish, and Souness. Souness left Middlesbrough for Liverpool for a club-record fee of £350,000 on 10 January 1978.

Souness's first game for Liverpool was a 1–0 league win against West Bromwich Albion on 14 January 1978. His first goal was a volley against Manchester United on 25 February 1978. Fans voted it the goal of the season.

Souness played a key role in Liverpool winning the European Cup again in 1978. He provided the pass for Kenny Dalglish to score the only goal against FC Bruges at Wembley Stadium.

Liverpool continued to win many trophies. Souness won his first League titles in 1978–79 and 1979–80. He earned a second European Cup medal in 1981 with a 1–0 win over Real Madrid. In that competition, Souness scored a hat-trick in the quarter-final against CSKA Sofia.

Because of his success, manager Bob Paisley made Souness the club captain for the 1981–82 season. This decision caused some tension with the previous captain, Phil Thompson. Under Souness's leadership, Liverpool won the League championship and the League Cup. They successfully defended both trophies in 1982–83. When Paisley retired, Souness let him lift the trophy after the 1983 League Cup final.

In 1983–84, Souness lifted three trophies. He scored the winning goal in the 1984 League Cup final replay against Everton. Liverpool won the league title for the third season in a row. They also reached the 1984 European Cup final and won it after a penalty shoot-out against Roma. Souness scored one of the penalties.

Souness's Liverpool career ended in 1984. He played 358 games and scored 56 goals for the club.

Moving to Italy: Sampdoria

Souness left Liverpool in 1984 and joined Sampdoria in Italy for £650,000. He joined other talented players like Trevor Francis, Roberto Mancini, and Gianluca Vialli. In his first season, Sampdoria won the Coppa Italia for the first time in their history. They beat Milan 3–1 over two games in the final. Souness scored the only goal in the first game of the final.

Player-Manager at Rangers F.C.

Souness's time in Italy ended in 1986 when he became player-manager at Rangers in Scotland. His playing start at Ibrox was not easy. In his first game of the 1986–87 season, he was sent off after receiving two yellow cards in just 34 minutes.

Souness faced some disciplinary issues and injuries during his time as a player at Rangers. He played 73 games in total for Rangers, scoring three goals. His last game as a player was at Ibrox in a 2–0 win against Dunfermline Athletic in the 1989–90 season. He played for the final 20 minutes.

International Career: Playing for Scotland

While playing for Middlesbrough, Souness earned his first international cap for Scotland. This was on 30 October 1974 in a 3–0 friendly win against East Germany. By the time he was chosen for the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina, he had played only six times for Scotland. His move to Liverpool helped raise his profile.

Souness missed Scotland's first two World Cup matches in 1978 due to injury. He played in the final group match against the Netherlands. Scotland won 3–2, but they were still eliminated from the tournament.

Souness played in two more World Cups. In 1982 in Spain, he played all three group stage matches. He scored his first international goal in the last game before Scotland was eliminated, a 2–2 draw with the Soviet Union.

His final World Cup appearance was in 1986 in Mexico. By this time, Souness was already the player-manager for Rangers. He played in losses to Denmark and West Germany. He later said he struggled in these matches due to the high altitude. Souness was not chosen by manager Alex Ferguson for Scotland's final match against Uruguay. He said this was the only time in his career he had been left out of a team. His international career ended after the 1986 World Cup. He played 54 games for Scotland over almost 12 years, scoring four goals.

Coaching and Managerial Career: Leading Teams

Rangers: The Souness Revolution

Graeme Souness became Rangers' first player-manager in April 1986. He joined from Sampdoria for £300,000. Rangers had not won the league title since 1978. Souness and club chairman David Holmes aimed to bring Rangers back to the top of Scottish football.

Souness's arrival led to what was called the "Souness Revolution." He started signing major players from English clubs, which was unusual at the time. English clubs were banned from European competitions from 1985 to 1990 due to the Heysel Stadium disaster. Rangers took advantage of this by signing top English international players like Terry Butcher and Chris Woods. This allowed Rangers to compete with England's biggest clubs for players.

Souness quickly made Rangers a dominant force in Scottish football. In his first season, 1986–87, they won the Championship and the League Cup. They kept the League Cup in 1987–88. Rangers won two more Championships in 1988–89 and 1989–90. They also won two more League Cups. In April 1991, Souness left Rangers to manage Liverpool. Rangers were on their way to winning a fourth league title in five seasons. His assistant, Walter Smith, took over and Rangers continued their success.

Souness's time at Ibrox had some controversial moments. One significant event was signing Mo Johnston in 1989. Historically, Rangers had a policy of not signing Roman Catholic players. Johnston had played for Celtic, Rangers' main rivals, and was expected to rejoin them. However, Souness signed him for Rangers. Souness stated that religion was not an issue for him. He believed Johnston was a good player and that the signing would also affect Celtic.

Souness also had disagreements with the Scottish Football Association (SFA). He often made strong comments after matches, which led to touchline bans. He sometimes got around these bans by naming himself as a substitute, which allowed him to be in the dugout. In May 1990, he was fined £5,000 for breaking a ban. Souness later said that these conflicts with officials were a main reason he left Rangers.

In 2009, Souness reflected on his time as Rangers manager, saying he was sometimes "obnoxious and difficult." He managed Rangers for 261 matches, winning 125 of 193 league games.

Liverpool: A Difficult Return

Kenny Dalglish, who had played alongside Souness at Liverpool, resigned as manager in February 1991. Souness was appointed Liverpool manager on 16 April 1991, signing a five-year contract.

Souness made big changes to the squad in his first six months. He brought in players like Dean Saunders, Mark Wright, Rob Jones, and Mark Walters. He also gave young players like Steve McManaman, Jamie Redknapp, and Robbie Fowler chances to play in the first team.

During the 1991–92 season, Liverpool did not challenge for the league title. They finished sixth. They returned to European competition after a six-year ban. They reached the UEFA Cup quarter-finals. By April 1992, they were only competing for the FA Cup.

Souness had major heart surgery in April 1992. A controversy happened after the FA Cup semi-final. An interview with Souness, celebrating the win and his surgery, was published in The Sun newspaper. The photo showed Souness in his hospital ward. The interview was published on 15 April, the third anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. Many Liverpool fans were very angry because The Sun had published false reports about the disaster. Souness had even stopped Liverpool players from talking to The Sun. He apologized, but later said he probably should have resigned then. Despite this, Souness attended the 1992 FA Cup Final, which Liverpool won 2–0 against Sunderland.

The 1992–93 season was even harder for Souness. He sold Dean Saunders early in the season. His replacement, Paul Stewart, struggled with injuries and form. Liverpool spent much of the season in the bottom half of the table. They finished sixth, but did not win any cup competitions. This meant Liverpool did not qualify for European competition for the 1993–94 season.

The pressure on Souness grew in 1993. He tried to improve the team by signing Julian Dicks and Nigel Clough. The season started well, but poor results returned. Souness resigned as Liverpool manager at the end of January 1994 after a surprising FA Cup loss to Bristol City. Roy Evans took over as manager.

Souness's three years as Liverpool manager are not remembered fondly by many fans. However, he did lead them to FA Cup success in 1992. He also helped young players like Steve McManaman, Robbie Fowler, and Jamie Redknapp become key players for the club's future.

Souness later said in his book that he faced many challenges. Many key players were getting older, and he felt some had lost their desire. He also said that senior players did not want to listen to his strict approach. He claimed some players asked for better contracts or threatened to leave. Players like Peter Beardsley, Steve McMahon, and Ray Houghton were sold. Souness felt they were not replaced well enough.

Souness also had disagreements with former Liverpool teammates Tommy Smith and Phil Thompson. He said Thompson, the reserve team manager, criticized his tactics behind his back. Souness dismissed Thompson, and they have remained distant since. Souness also banned Tommy Smith from club areas because Smith was critical of him in the media.

Galatasaray: The Flag Incident

After leaving Liverpool, Souness was out of work for over a year. He became manager of Galatasaray in Turkey in June 1995. He caused a stir by placing a large Galatasaray flag in the center of the pitch of their rivals, Fenerbahçe, after Galatasaray won the Turkish Cup final on 24 April 1996. This act earned Souness the nickname "Ulubatlı Souness," comparing him to a Turkish hero who planted the Ottoman flag during a siege.

Southampton: The Ali Dia Hoax

Souness returned to England to manage Southampton. He resigned after one season due to disagreements with the chairman. At Southampton, Souness is remembered for signing Ali Dia. Dia was supposedly recommended by George Weah, a famous Liberian striker. However, it turned out to be a hoax by Dia's friend. Dia played only one game in the Premier League, as a substitute, and performed very poorly before being taken off. A highlight of the season was a 6–3 home win against Manchester United. Southampton avoided relegation, finishing 16th.

Torino and Benfica

After Southampton, Souness went back to Italy to coach Torino. He lasted only four months because he had no say in which players the club bought or sold.

In November 1997, Souness was appointed manager of Benfica in Portugal. He brought several British players from the Premier League. Souness left the club 18 months later.

Blackburn Rovers: Cup Success

Souness returned to the English league in March 2000 to manage Blackburn Rovers. He led them to promotion back to the Premier League in his first full season. During his four years at Blackburn, he helped talented young players like Damien Duff and David Dunn. He also signed experienced players like Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke. Cole and Matt Jansen scored in Blackburn's 2–1 League Cup final victory over Tottenham Hotspur in February 2002. Blackburn finished 10th in the league that season.

Souness then guided Blackburn to a sixth-place finish in 2003, taking them into the UEFA Cup for a second season. They finished 15th in 2003–04.

Newcastle United: Final Managerial Role

Souness left Blackburn in September 2004 to become manager of Newcastle United. This was after Sir Bobby Robson was sacked.

Despite a good start, Souness soon had disagreements with several players, including Craig Bellamy. Newcastle finished 14th in the league, their lowest finish since 1993. They reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup and the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

Newcastle had a slow start to the 2005–06 season. Souness hoped that signing Michael Owen from Real Madrid for £17 million would improve the team. Newcastle won the Tyne-Wear derby against Sunderland and their next three matches. However, Owen got injured in December 2005, adding to the team's injury problems.

Souness was criticized for not planning for the long term at Newcastle. He had a small squad, which made them vulnerable to injuries. Expensive signings like Jean-Alain Boumsong and Albert Luque did not perform as expected. By February 2006, Newcastle United was 15th in the Premier League. On 2 February 2006, Souness was sacked as manager by chairman Freddy Shepherd. He was replaced by Glenn Roeder.

Some players later said that Souness was under pressure due to injuries. They also mentioned a bad atmosphere at the training ground. Alan Shearer noted that fans never fully accepted Souness. Souness did not return to football management after leaving Newcastle.

Life Outside Football

Working in Media

Since ending his managerial career, Graeme Souness has regularly worked as a television analyst. He was a main analyst for Sky Sports' coverage of the Premier League and UEFA Champions League until 2015. He left Sky Sports on 30 April 2023.

Souness also appeared on RTÉ's coverage of the UEFA Champions League and Premier League. He contributed to RTÉ Sport's coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Personal Life and Charity Work

Graeme Souness has been married to Karen Souness since 1994. They have a son together. Souness also has children from a previous marriage and two stepchildren.

In 2010, Souness moved from Edinburgh to Sandbanks, Poole, Dorset. In 2021, he shared that he had been following a vegan diet for three years.

In May 2023, Souness started a fundraising campaign for DEBRA, a charity that helps people with epidermolysis bullosa. As part of this, he planned to swim the English Channel. On 18 June 2023, he completed the swim as part of a six-person relay team, raising £1 million for the charity.

Reputation

The Daily Telegraph once described Souness as "one of the most fearsome men in the game." However, his former Liverpool teammate Michael Robinson said in 2016 that Souness was "a very personal, cuddly chap who was actually quite vulnerable."

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			National cup		League cup		Continental		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Tottenham Hotspur	1971–72	First Division	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	–		1	0
Montreal Olympique	1972	NASL	10	2			–		–		–		10	2
Middlesbrough	1972–73	Second Division	9	0					–		–		9	0
	1973–74	Second Division	35	7					–		–		35	7
	1974–75	First Division	38	7					–		–		38	7
	1975–76		35	3					–		–		35	3
	1976–77		38	2					–		–		38	2
	1977–78		19	3					–		–		19	3
	Total		176	22	13	1	12	0	–		–		201	23
Liverpool	1977–78	First Division	15	2	0	0	0	0	3	0	–		18	2
	1978–79		41	8	7	1	1	0	2	0	2	0	53	9
	1979–80		41	1	8	1	7	0	2	0	1	0	59	2
	1980–81		37	6	1	0	8	1	8	6	1	0	55	13
	1981–82		35	5	3	0	9	1	6	0	1	0	54	6
	1982–83		41	9	3	0	8	2	6	0	1	0	59	11
	1983–84		37	7	2	0	12	5	9	0	1	0	61	12
	Total		247	38	24	2	46	9	35	6	7	0	354	55
Sampdoria	1984–85	Serie A	28	5	12	1	–		–		–		40	6
	1985–86	Serie A	28	3	6	2	–		4	0	–		38	5
	Total		56	8	18	3	–		4	0	–		78	11
Rangers	1986–87	Scottish Premier Division	25	1	1	0	3	2	3	0	–		32	3
	1987–88		18	2	3	0	3	0	6	0	–		30	2
	1988–89		6	0	1	0	3	0	0	0	–		10	0
	1989–90		1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	–		1	0
	Total		50	3	5	0	9	2	9	0	–		73	5
Career total			537	73	60	6	67	11	49	6	7	0	706	96

International Appearances and Goals

Year	Apps	Goals
Scotland
1974	2	0
1975	1	0
1976	—
1977	—
1978	6	0
1979	6	0
1980	3	0
1981	4	0
1982	9	1
1983	8	1
1984	4	1
1985	7	0
1986	4	1
Total	54	4

Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first.

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	22 June 1982	Estadio La Rosaleda, Málaga	Soviet Union	2–2	2–2	1982 FIFA World Cup
2.	16 June 1983	Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton	Canada	3–0	3–0	Friendly
3.	12 September 1984	Hampden Park, Glasgow	Yugoslavia	2–1	6–1	Friendly
4.	23 April 1986	Wembley Stadium, London	England	1–2	1–2	1986 Rous Cup

Managerial Record

Team	Nat	From	To	Record
Team	Nat	From	To	G	W	D	L	Win %
Rangers	SCO	1 April 1986	16 April 1991	&&&&&&&&&&&&0260.&&&&&0260	&&&&&&&&&&&&0165.&&&&&0165	&&&&&&&&&&&&&050.&&&&&050	&&&&&&&&&&&&&045.&&&&&045	&&&&&&&&&&&&&063.46000063.46
Liverpool	ENG	16 April 1991	28 January 1994	&&&&&&&&&&&&0157.&&&&&0157	&&&&&&&&&&&&&065.&&&&&065	&&&&&&&&&&&&&047.&&&&&047	&&&&&&&&&&&&&045.&&&&&045	&&&&&&&&&&&&&041.40000041.40
Galatasaray	TUR	1 July 1995	1 July 1996	&&&&&&&&&&&&&043.&&&&&043	&&&&&&&&&&&&&025.&&&&&025	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08	&&&&&&&&&&&&&010.&&&&&010	&&&&&&&&&&&&&058.14000058.14
Southampton	ENG	3 July 1996	1 June 1997	&&&&&&&&&&&&&048.&&&&&048	&&&&&&&&&&&&&014.&&&&&014	&&&&&&&&&&&&&015.&&&&&015	&&&&&&&&&&&&&019.&&&&&019	&&&&&&&&&&&&&029.17000029.17
Torino	ITA	5 July 1997	12 October 1997	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03	&&&&&&&&&&&&&033.33000033.33
Benfica	POR	2 November 1997	3 May 1999	&&&&&&&&&&&&&071.&&&&&071	&&&&&&&&&&&&&041.&&&&&041	&&&&&&&&&&&&&015.&&&&&015	&&&&&&&&&&&&&015.&&&&&015	&&&&&&&&&&&&&057.75000057.75
Blackburn Rovers	ENG	14 March 2000	6 September 2004	&&&&&&&&&&&&0212.&&&&&0212	&&&&&&&&&&&&&086.&&&&&086	&&&&&&&&&&&&&061.&&&&&061	&&&&&&&&&&&&&065.&&&&&065	&&&&&&&&&&&&&040.57000040.57
Newcastle United	ENG	13 September 2004	2 February 2006	&&&&&&&&&&&&&083.&&&&&083	&&&&&&&&&&&&&036.&&&&&036	&&&&&&&&&&&&&018.&&&&&018	&&&&&&&&&&&&&029.&&&&&029	&&&&&&&&&&&&&043.37000043.37
Total				&&&&&&&&&&&&0880.&&&&&0880	&&&&&&&&&&&&0434.&&&&&0434	&&&&&&&&&&&&0217.&&&&&0217	&&&&&&&&&&&&0229.&&&&&0229	&&&&&&&&&&&&&049.32000049.32

Honours and Awards

Souness was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2024 Birthday Honours for his contributions to football and charity.

As a Player

Tottenham Hotspur Youth

FA Youth Cup: 1969–70

Middlesbrough

Football League Second Division: 1973–74

Liverpool

Football League First Division: 1978–79, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84
Football League Cup: 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84
FA Charity Shield: 1979, 1980, 1982
European Cup: 1977–78, 1980–81, 1983–84

Sampdoria

Coppa Italia: 1984–85

Rangers

Scottish Premier Division: 1986–87, 1988–89
Scottish League Cup: 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89

Scotland

Rous Cup: 1985

Individual Awards

Middlesbrough Player of the Year: 1973–74
European Cup Golden Boot: 1980–81
PFA First Division Team of the Year: 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84
PFA Team of the Century (1977–96): 2007

As a Manager