Graeme Souness has successfully completed a swim across the channel to raise money for a cause close to his heart.
The legendary midfielder confirmed last month that he will be taking on the challenge in aid of DEBRA, a charity that supports those impacted by Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB).
At the age of 70, Souness has now completed the mission and raised over £1 million for the charity with the help of his team.
BBC Breakfast tweeted on Sunday afternoon to confirm that the group had successfully made it across the channel, a task which Souness described last month as “really difficult to begin with.”
The mission was inspired by a 14-year-old girl named Isla Grist, who suffers with the disease and is someone Souness has grown close to throughout the process.
EB causes the skin to blister inside and outside of the body, leading to incessant pain felt by sufferers such as Isla.
Prior to taking on the swim, Souness admitted that he gets “emotional” when talking about the disease and cited Isla as a huge inspiration for the project.
“I get emotional talking about it. Isla is the most unique human being I’ve ever met,” Souness explained.
“In my life, I’ve had the good fortune to spend time with people that aren’t very well, but I knew nothing about this disease.”
The team involved in the challenge will be part of special coverage on BBC Breakfast on Monday morning for a full review of the swim and a discussion about the charity.
It took nine months of training to prepare Souness for the challenge, successfully completing it in 12 hours and 17 minutes.
DEBRA continues to do fantastic work to help individuals and families affected by EB and the money raised will go a long way to supporting those in need.
