John Carver’s message of support to Alan Hansen from Scotland’s Euro 2024 camp

John Carver sent a message of support from everyone in Scotland’s Euro 2024 camp to Alan Hansen, who is seriously ill in hospital.

The former Partick Thistle and Liverpool defender won 26 caps for Scotland between 1979 and 1987 and played in the 1982 World Cup.

The 68-year-old joined Liverpool from Partick Thistle in 1977 and won three European Cups, eight league titles, two FA Cups and three League Cups in 620 appearances for the Reds, before he retired in 1991 to start a successful career as a television pundit.

Scotland assistant manager Carver was in Garmisch-Partenkirchen preparing for Scotland’s opener against the host nation Germany on Friday night.

He said: “I would just like to pass a message on to say that everybody, the players, the staff, everybody connected with the SFA, are really thinking about himself and his family because it is an extremely difficult time.

“The biggest thing that I noticed was that he was a fantastic defender but he was a ball playing centre-half.

“He was probably one of the first that I can remember seeing play.

“The way he stepped out with the ball, he was so graceful and that’s why I remember him.

“He was obviously at one of the top sides in the world at the time, winning European Cups, winning everything in sight, so a proper legend in the game.”