ALAN Hansen's former teammate Graeme Souness today raised hopes the football icon is on the way to recovery after falling seriously ill.
Souness said the former Liverpool captain and pundit, 69, was in high spirits when the pair spoke on the phone last night.
Fears had been raised for Hansen after he fell seriously ill in hospital and was said to be fighting for his life.
But Souness told talkSport: "I spoke to him yesterday and he sounded fabulous. So I hope that's on the way to a full recovery.
"He's definitely back because he did nothing but take the mick out of me. So he's definitely on the way back.
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"I’ve been speaking to his son and Janet his wife and I’ve been phoning his phone, his phone number.
"I got on the train on Sunday and I was looking for my seat and my phone rang and I could see it was Big Al.
"I was thinking ‘Oh no, don’t answer that’. So I sat down and got the courage to phone back and HE answered the phone.
"He’s been in a difficult place but the way he sounded yesterday, he’s back, and I hope I’m right."
It comes after an emotional Souness said he was "sending prayers" to Hansen on ITV's opening coverage of Euro 2024.
Souness spoke about his friend and former team-mate ahead of both his and Hansen's beloved Scotland's Euros opener against hosts Germany.
He said: "I believe he was the best footballing centre-half ever. And I know that is some statement but I really believe that.
"I saw it first hand he was a really quality performer and a great human being.
"You know when people are in trouble with illness, people say they're great guys, but I'm telling you he is a great guy.
"You'd have to search a very long way to find anyone saying a bad word about him - that takes some doing.
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"And he's in the fight of his life right now and we should all say a little prayer for him.
"I had the pleasure of playing with him, he was an absolute dream.
"He passed the ball at the right weight, at the right angle, at the right time."
Hansen and Souness were at Liverpool together between 1978 and 1984.
The duo made 974 appearances between them for the Merseyside club.
They won five league titles, four league cups and three European Cups together.
The Anfield icons also played together for Scotland between 1979 and 1987.
Liverpool also sent a message to Hansen on Thursday on the occasion of his birthday.
It read: "We're all thinking of Alan and his family on his 69th birthday."
