Former Partick Thistle icon Alan Hansen discharged from hospital and continues recovery at home

Former Partick Thistle defender and Liverpool legend Alan Hansen has been discharged from hospital after falling seriously ill.

A statement released by Liverpool FC read: "Alan has been discharged from hospital today to continue his recovery at home," and "Alan, Janet, Adam, Lucy and family would like to thank everybody for their wonderful messages of love and support. It has been overwhelming and has helped enormously."

The former footballer was admitted into hospital, aged 69, in early June. His health concern drew support from notable figures in the football world.

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Among these was Graeme Souness, Hansen's former teammate from both Liverpool and Scotland, who regularly liaised with Hansen's family, keeping them updated with news about his close friend. Souness, during an interview with talkSPORT just days prior to Hansen's discharge, said: "Anyone who's met Alan Hansen, he has a wicked sense of humour so I've had two conversations with him in the last five, six days.

"Both conversations were me on the receiving end of his humour, so that tells me he's on the way back." Earlier, Souness gave some hope after reporting that Hansen was recovering well post a phone call. The recent positive news about the football legend being allowed to return home is surely a relief.

Hansen, whose career started with Partick Thistle in 1977 before joining Liverpool, has had a remarkable career winning three European Cups, eight league titles, two FA Cups, and three League Cups in his 620 appearances for the Anfield side, reports the Mirror. After his stint with the Reds, he transitioned into a career in punditry, quickly becoming a fixture on BBC and Match of the Day. Hansen's voice became familiar during 16 FA Cup finals, six World Cups, five European Championships, and even an Olympic Games.

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He decided to retire from his role as a pundit in 2014 following the World Cup final. Upon leaving Match of the Day, Hansen shared: "I'm retiring from Match of the Day at the end of the season. I will have been there for 22 years and will be 59, so it's the right time for me."

In a candid 2016 interview, Hansen opened up about the "crippling" nerves that contributed to his decision to step away, despite his successful career and the anxiety he faced.

He recalled the early days of his punditry career with no formal training, saying: "There was no training, it was sink or swim," and credited Des Lynam as a guiding force. "After 22 years I kept telling myself I wouldn't get so nervous, but it got worse. That was one of the reasons I left. I was getting more nervous and I'd say: 'What are you doing? ' The BBC were terrific, I loved the people and Match of the Day but I didn't enjoy the nerves."

Hansen also admitted to a complex relationship with his peers: "When I played I didn't like pundits. When I was a pundit I didn't like the other pundits because I was scared they might be better than me."

Reflecting on his insecurities, he confessed: "Honestly, I thought they were all better than me. It was my insecurity."

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