Charity work shows ‘the real me’, says Graeme Souness, on being made CBE

Graeme Souness has said fundraising for a charity has allowed people to see “the real me” as he was made a CBE at Windsor Castle.

Souness, both a player and manager at Rangers and Liverpool, was honoured for his services to football and charity by the Prince of Wales on Tuesday.

The Scot represented his country at three World Cups and won five league titles and three European Cups with the Reds before later spending time as a pundit.

But he is also the vice president of Debra UK which raises awareness of epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a group of genetic skin conditions that cause the skin to blister and tear at the slightest touch.

He started working with the charity six years ago, and helped to raise £1.5 million for further research when he joined a swimming challenge across the English Channel last year.

Souness told the PA news agency: “I think when you go to work, whatever job you do, you become quite a different person to what you really are, certainly in the demands of football management and being a football player.

“I am an emotional man, and when I get involved in this charity and when I’m around these poor children, I am emotional.

“Now that I’ve been involved for six years, I get it now – I understand the plight of these children, and it’s just pushing me to do more and more for them if I can.

“You’ve seen a real me – I’m not someone who’s pumped up with adrenaline wants to go to war with everyone on a football pitch, that was my workplace. Now I’m trying to be a decent human being.”

Souness said being made a CBE was “always a team effort” shared with his fellow Debra fundraisers and ranked among his greatest achievements, putting it “up there with European Cups.”

Asked if the door was firmly shut on a possible return to football management or punditry, Souness said his focus was on his next Debra fundraising event, another swim across the Channel before a bike ride from Dover to Westminster, in May.

“The aim is to get more awareness and hopefully raise a similar amount of money, we’ve got to get it out there that these children have no light at the end of the tunnel.

“Every day is a groundhog day for them, they suffer unimaginable pain and of course there’s a mental aspect to it as well.

“That’s where my focus is right now – it’s not coming back to football. I’ve been there, ticked that box. This is about raising awareness and raising money for Debra.”

Souness said he discussed Premier League football with William, a keen Aston Villa fan, during his investiture ceremony.

He said: “He’s still hurting a wee bit from my team (Liverpool) beating his team last weekend, but I reassured him that Villa are certainly on the right path.”