Ex-Hibs star George McCluskey recalls Graeme Souness incident

Souness walks off as McCluskey is carried off

FOOTBALL legend George McCluskey has revealed how he respected Graeme Souness until the former Scotland skipper 'sliced his leg open' in one of the most infamous incident in Scottish football history.

McCluskey, now 59, was playing for Hibs when Souness lashed out at him during a bad tempered Premier League match at Easter Road in 1986.

The striker was carried off with blood streaming down his right shin, while Souness also left the pitch after being sent off on his debut for the club.

McCluskey discusses the incident in a new book “Playing for the Hoops, the George McCluskey Story” to be launched this week week, in which he says Souness was “not a hard man”.

He said: “Souness had gone right through Stuart Beedie in front of the referee and I think that most people thought that he was going to be sent off as he already had a booking.

“There was a lot of chaos around him and the referee as players from both sides rushed in with a lot of pushing and pulling and shouting and all that.

“I was actually looking behind me when I felt a sharp pain right down my leg as Graeme Souness simply sliced my leg open with his boot.

“After that all hell did break loose but I could only watch in disbelief with blood streaming down my leg.”