Alan Hansen was a formidable defender during his playing days, boasting a remarkable record of achievement with the great Liverpool side of the late 1970s and early 1980s.
As a professional, he began his career with Scottish team Partick Thistle, where his brother John Hansen was already playing. Alan and John also played together before signing professional contracts with non-league club Sauchie Juniors.
It didn't take long for Alan to break into the Partick Thistle first team, with his intelligence and defensive talents attracting attention from bigger clubs, including Bob Paisley's Liverpool. A move to one of the country's top clubs was beckoning.
He transferred to Liverpool at a cost of £110,000, making his debut on September 24, 1977, in a league match at Anfield against Derby County.
As an integral part of the Liverpool side, Alan's record of achievement is impressive. His first full international cap came on May 19, 1979, in a British Home Championship match against Wales. He also represented his country at the 1982 World Cup finals in Spain, although Scotland failed to progress beyond the qualifying group due to drawing 2-2 with the USSR.
In total, he received 26 caps for Scotland, which was not a lot for a defender of such considerable talent. This was in part due to the already formidable central defensive partnership of Willie Miller and Alex McLeish, who also played together at Aberdeen.
Given his exceptional footballing brain, it wasn't long after his retirement that Sky Television employed Hansen as a pundit and summariser. He then moved to BBC Radio 5 Live before taking up his most well-known role as a pundit for Match of the Day.
He is a columnist for the Daily Telegraph, Telegraph.co.UK, and the BBC website on football issues and has also worked as a motivational speaker.
