Alan Hansen is a familiar face to many, football fan or not. The Scotsman has established a lucrative career as both a Premier league player and front running football pundit, spending the first half of his career in the spotlight as an instrumental player for Liverpool F.C. and the latter half engaging with tens of thousands of football loving viewers on Match of the Day. Alan Hansen is available for booking at private or corporate events through MN2S Talent Agency.
Hansen was born in Clackmannanshire in Scotland and was a fan of Rangers F.C. as a boy. As a teenager, Hansen began working on his skills as a golfer, envisioning a professional career for himself.
However, both Hansen’s older brother and father were keen for him to remain involved in football. After playing alongside his brother in his local Scottish Junior league club, Sauchie Juniors, Hansen continued to do so in the professional team Partick Thistle, an opportunity for which he rejected a place at the University of Aberdeen.
Hansen soon caught the eye of major Premier League clubs such as Liverpool, at that time under the management of Bob Paisley. In the 1975-1976 season, Hansen played a total of 21 times for Partick Thistle, a season that also saw them ascend from the Scottish First Division to the Scottish Premier Division.
In the late spring of 1977, Hansen signed with Liverpool for a fee of £110,000 and made his debut at Anfield in September. Hansen would score his first goal for the team during the second round of the European Cup in a 5-1victory against the pre-reunification German side Dynamo Dresden. In his following season with the team, 1978-1979, Hansen would establish himself as a formidable central defender and an integral part of the Liverpool line up.
Over the following few seasons Hansen was key part of Liverpool’s great successes. The League Cup and the League title were frequently found their home at Anfield during the 80s; in the 1983-1984 season the team won the League title as well as both the League Cup and European Cup to win the treble.
Hansen was plagued with knee injuries during the later half of his tenure with Liverpool, but still completed an impressive and celebrated playing career with the club, totting up 8 League titles, 4 League Cups, 3 European Cups and 2 F.A. Cups.
The Hillsborough disaster on the 15th April 1989, the worst stadium related disaster in English footballing history, claimed the lives of almost 100 Liverpool fans, and was described by Hansen in his autobiography as “the blackest period of my life…The number of broken hearts was incalculable.” Alongside many of his current team members he attended the funerals of the deceased and visited those who had been hospitalised. Hansen continued to speak emotionally about the harrowing event, insisting that it never been forgotten.
After his retirement, many believed that Hansen would go into coaching and take over as manager of Liverpool, the club with whom he had built his legacy. However, although Hansen expressed his gratitude at the opportunity, he rejected all management roles offered to him, including a position at Manchester City.
After some time off, Hansen made a very smooth transition into a media career. He began as a pundit for Sky Television, but in no time at all the BBC was also looking to get the ex-footballer on board. Hansen spent a total of 22 years as the main pundit for the quintessential football highlights show Match of the Day, delivering measured and deeply insightful analysis.
He retired from the show in May 2014, and BBC aired a documentary celebrating his diverse success, “Alan Hansen: Player and Pundit”. Hansen is also currently a football columnist for the Daily Telegraph.
His popularity, expertise and distinctive commentating style continue to make him a popular guest motivational speaker and after dinner celebrity speaker. Alan Hansen is available for booking through London based booking agency, MN2S.