LIVERPOOL legend Alan Hansen has been released from hospital and will continue his recovery from a serious illness at home.
The former footballer, 69, was admitted in early June with footballing figures including former teammates paying tribute.
A new statement from Liverpool FC read: “Alan has been discharged from hospital today to continue his recovery at home.
“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.”
Match of the Day host Gary Lineker said the announcement of Hansen’s discharge was “the best news ever” while Alan Shearer shared three clapping emojis.
News of the star’s hospitalisation left the football world shocked and saddened, with Lineker and Shearer paying emotional tributes to him on live TV.
Speaking on talkSPORT several days ago, ex-teammate Graeme Souness said: “Anyone who’s met Alan once, you know he’s got a wicked sense of humour.
“So, for two conversations with him in the last five or six days, both conversations were me on the receiving end of his humour.
“So that tells me he’s on the way back.”
An emotional Souness had previously 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 at the time: “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.
“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.”
The centre back later began a media career and became an authoritative pundit on defending.
He appeared on the BBC’s Match of the Day for 22 years from 1992 to 2014.
Liverpool described their former player as a: “defender of the utmost elegance”.
Liverpool: 1977- 1990, 620 appearances, 14 goals
Trophies: English titles x8, European Cups x3, Uefa Supercup (1978), FA Cup x2, League Cup x4, English Super Cup x6
Partick Thistle: 1973-1977, 86 appearances, 6 goals
Scotland: 1979-1987, 26 appearances
Former Match of the Day co-host Lineker posted a tweet saying: “Horrendous news. Thoughts are with Alan, Janet and all the family.”
Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard sent his support to Hansen with an Instagram post featuring a picture the Scottish star along with a prayer emoji.
SkySports host and former Red Jamie Carragher responded to the news in a tweet with a fingers crossed emoji and a heart emoji.
Other fans left their well wishes to the former player.
One said: “Prayers and thought for the legend, Alan Hansen. May he recover.”
ALAN HANSEN is as famous for an off-the-cuff verdict on Manchester United as a pundit as he is for his vast haul of silverware with Liverpool.
The Scot announced on BBC’s Match of the Day in August 1995: “You can’t win anything with kids.”
Alex Ferguson’s young Red Devils had just lost 3-1 at Aston Villa, with David Beckham notching a late consolation.
Hansen told MOTD presenter Des Lynam that Fergie has “got to buy players, simple as that”.
He added: “You look at that line-up at quarter-past two, when they get the teamsheet, it’s just going to give them a lift, and it’ll happen every time he plays the kids.”
United – with Peter Schmeichel, Roy Keane and the Neville brothers in their side – responded by going unbeaten for three months.
And they ended the season by making history – as the first team to win the Double of top-flight and FA Cup twice.
Hansen, however, has happily accepted all the mocking that still comes in for his faulty verdict.
He once said: “That line pretty much made me, simply because I got it so dramatically wrong!
