Graeme Souness was close to tears as he spoke about the devastating condition affecting children he is preparing to take on a gruelling charity challenge for, describing it as a disease "sent by the Devil".
The former Liverpool and Scotland midfielder, normally a hard-nosed and outspoken football pundit with controversial opinions, became visibly emotional during an appearance on Good Morning Britain on Friday as he discussed epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a rare and painful condition which causes the skin to become extremely fragile.
Charity challenge and GMB appearance
Souness, 73, is president of charity Debra UK, which supports people living with EB, and is aiming to raise at least £500,000 through a series of gruelling challenges.
He is preparing to climb the highest mountains in Wales, England and Scotland in just three days, including Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), while also completing three open-water swims in mountain lakes and lochs.
Souness appeared on GMB alongside 13-year-old Jasmine Ritchie, who lives with EB and gave an insight into the daily reality of living with the condition.
Living with EB
"You just have to live with pain throughout the day, every day. We just have to get used to it, we have no other choice," Jasmine said.
"Every day it’s three or four hours (of bandaging)."
Souness became emotional as he reflected on what children with EB have to endure.
"It’s horrific, if Jasmine was to show you her hands, you would cry, I get very emotional talking about it because I have got things in my head I can’t unsee," he said.
"We talk about bravery. These kids, what they go through is beggars belief. It’s a condition that was sent by the Devil."
Inspiration and preparation
Souness' involvement with the charity was inspired by his meeting with young EB sufferer Isla Grist, which led to him swimming the English Channel in 2023 to raise money.
Now he is preparing for another major test, with the Three Peaks challenge and three open-water swims set to push him to his limits.
The former midfielder admits he is particularly concerned about the temperatures he will encounter when swimming in mountain lakes and lochs without a wetsuit.
"I’ve trained for it, I think I’m ready for it. What I’ve not trained for is how cold the water will be up there," he said.
Souness also used his appearance to highlight the difficulties faced by Debra UK, saying the charity receives no government support.
"We’re a small charity, we get no help from the government," he said.
"You having us on here (GMB) is an enormous help because if you make more people aware of what this condition is then more people will get involved."
