Graeme Souness' Heart of Gold: Revealing the Huge Sum of Money Pledged to Fight EB
Key Highlights :
Graeme Souness had a heart of gold that was revealed to the world when he announced a huge sum of money that had been pledged to help fight Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB). The former Liverpool and Newcastle United legend was moved to tears live on air when he revealed that Sir Alex Ferguson had donated a whopping £20,000 to his English Channel swim fundraiser for charity Debra.
Souness was clearly overwhelmed by the generosity of his friend and former manager, telling BBC Breakfast, “I hope I don’t embarrass him by saying this, but Alex Ferguson donated £20,000 after he quizzed me on it for half an hour. He’s got a heart of gold, that man. You have to search for it, but it’s there!”
The donation was in support of Souness' English Channel swim, which he completed alongside five friends, including the father of a young EB sufferer, Isla Girst. Souness had developed a close friendship with the 14-year-old and was inspired to take on the challenge after learning more about the rare skin disease.
Speaking about Isla, Souness said, “Isla is the most unique human being I ever met, and she does this to me every time [make emotional], she's an inspiration to me even at my age.” He also noted that, “Football does its bit for charity. Players are much maligned, much criticised, but football does its bit. Throughout my life, I've had the good fortune to spend time with people who have not been very well. I knew nothing about this disease. This disease is the cruellest.”
Souness' emotional response to Isla's story and his friend's generous donation has highlighted the incredible work of charities such as Debra, which support those with EB. It has also shown that even the most successful of footballers have a heart of gold. Sir Alex Ferguson's generous donation of £20,000 is a testament to that, and it is clear that Souness was deeply moved by his friend's kind gesture.
