Alan Hansen: ‘Insecure’ ex-pundit reveals nerves made him retire from Match Of The Day after 22 years on the telly
Footy legend, who is currently on holiday in Barbados, said his nerves only got worse as his punditry career progressed
ALAN HANSEN has revealed that he retired after 22 years as a telly pundit on Match of the Day in 2014 because of nerves.
The footy legend said that his nerves only got worse as his punditry career progressed.
Hansen was always one of the first names on the team-sheet during his time on BBC's flagship football show, but revealed in an interview earlier this year that he suffered with nerves every week.
The ex-Liverpool and Scotland defender, 61, said: “There was no training, it was sink or swim. I was lucky to work with a master, Des Lynam.
"After 22 years I kept on 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?’
ALAN HANSEN'S PUNDITRY CAREER
1991 Retires from football. After a brief rest begins working for Sky TV as a pundit and summariser
1992 Approached by the BBC, initially for Radio 5 Live before moving to Match of the Day
1994 During the World Cup, says a player 'deserves shooting' for his performance. It came the day after Colombian defender Andres Escobar was infamously shot dead after scoring an own goal
1995 On the opening day of the season, comments that 'you can't win anything with kids' as Manchester United are beaten by Aston Villa. That team would go on to win the Double, while the famed Class of 92 would become stars. Hansen says the phrase 'made him' as a pundit
2011 Criticised for claiming Arsenal winger Theo Walcott does not have a 'football brain'
2011 BBC receive complaints after he twice refers to black players as 'coloured'. Hansen apologies for any offence caused
2011 He and the BBC are criticised as it's revealed Hansen is paid £40,000 per appearance (£1.5m annually)
2012 Agrees to take £500,000 pay cut after the BBC announce company-wide savings of millions
2014 Announces he will retire after the World Cup
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“The BBC were terrific, I loved the people and Match Of The Day but I didn’t enjoy the nerves."
Hansen added: "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.
"Honestly, I thought they were all better than me. It was my insecurity.
"On the pitch I had tremendous belief in my own ability. I never thought I wasn’t good enough to play for Liverpool when the game started but, before the match, before a programme... I never found out why. It is the way it is.”