Graeme Souness reveals the truth behind his on-air clash with Gary Neville… ‘It went silent’

EXCLUSIVE: Graeme Souness got the better of Gary Neville on a day Manchester United fans would like to forget.

The Liverpool hero, who’s marching Debra Legends into battle as part of The Three Horseshoes and Debra Charity Cup, on Sunday, revelled in putting the former right back on blast during an intense broadcast.

Graeme Souness challenged Gary Neville to repeat something he said off-air

On March 5, 2023, Liverpool destroyed Manchester United, 7-0, in a match that has gone down in history. And it wasn’t just a big win for ‘The Reds’, but also for Graeme Souness, who obliterated Gary Neville.

During an exclusive interview with Sporf, the icon reminisced: “It was my favourite day on television. Prior to the game, before we went on air, we were standing pitchside, just by the tunnel at Anfield. Roy Keane said, ‘What do you think will happen today’? I said, ‘I think Liverpool will win, and I think they’ll win well’. Roy and Gary Neville looked at me as if I had two heads. So, then we go on air, ten-15 minutes later, and Gary challenged me to say it again on air, so I said, ‘Yeah of course I will, I think Liverpool will win, and they’ll win well today’. I think I said, ‘Maybe by three goals’.

“The match came along, and Liverpool properly battered them. It was the most unbelievable day, everything flew in. Off-air, Gary Neville said, ‘Liverpool have won 7-0 today, and they didn’t play that well’. I didn’t acknowledge that, I think Roy shrugged his shoulders, and I don’t think Jamie Carragher was in the room at the time. Then, we go on air, and I say to Gary, ‘Are you prepared to say what you just said off-air’? And he wouldn’t. I pushed it, saying, ‘Come on, Gary, you challenged me before the game to repeat something, and now I’m challenging you, what did you say off-air’? He wouldn’t answer; he waffled. I said, ‘I’ll tell you what you said, you claimed, Liverpool have won 7-0 today, and they didn’t play particularly well’. It went silent. I enjoyed that day very much.”

Graeme Souness is raising money at The Three Horseshoes and Debra Charity Cup

While renowned for his heroics on the football pitch, Souness’ greatest accomplishment has come off the field, with the 3x European Cup winner going above and beyond to raise money for charity.

On Sunday, at the MGroup Stadium, the Scotsman, will manage a side, featuring, Matt Le Tissier and Jimmy Bullard, in a four-team competition. Money raised from the tournament will go towards helping children with epidermolysis bullosa.

The 70-year-old explained: “I’ve been involved with Debra for seven years. I’m not a young man anymore, and I’ve witnessed lots of sad and tragic things. When you’re a football manager, you’ve got poor kids who have got conditions turn up at the training ground or the stadium on matchday, and you’re told, ‘It’s life-limiting, they might not be here in a month’s time’. Then, you hear the news that they have passed, and it’s tragic.

“Seven years ago, I came across a condition called epidermolysis bullosa, and the charity Debra, of which I’m president, does what we can. It’s a condition, that is life-limiting; your body is constantly covered in blisters and sores, so you’re in constant pain. So, we raise money with the aim of making their lives easier.”

He added: “It’s a fight we’re in for the long haul. We have to help these kids and give them something to look forward to. I hope as many people as possible come along to support us over this weekend.”

The event is sponsored by NUTMEG—a nostalgic football manager game, set in the ’80s and ’90s. Manage the teams and iconic players from England’s top four divisions, and relive the glory days when tackles were hard and a goal was a goal!

Featured Image Credit: Sky Sports/Getty