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Alan Hansen has rarely been seen in public since leaving Match of the Day(Image: Julian Hamilton/Daily Miiror)

It's easy to forget that Alan Hansen was once viewed as one of the UK's most-loved and respected pundits for his long-term stint with Match of the Day.

Here Mirror Football takes a closer look at Hansen.

A stellar 14-year career at Anfield saw Hansen, now 69, win 25 major trophies, including eight league titles and three European Cups.

Punditry seemed like a natural step for the composed defender after he retired from the game in 1991, and so Hansen became part of an iconic team on Match of the Day a year later, providing cutting edge analysis at the dawn of the Premier League.

Article continues belowAlan Hansen and Gary Lineker enjoyed a strong rapport on Match of the Day(Image: Antonio Olmos)

His time on the show was iconic as his days on the pitch.

On his departure from Match of the Day, Hansen said: "The guys at the BBC know me and I said, 'Look, this is categorical.

He also looked in good spirits as he received his MBE for services to football and broadcasting at Windsor Castle in March of this year.

Alan Hansen was awarded an MBE this year(Image: Justin Ng / Avalon)

While many thought Hansen was simply chasing a break following over two decades on screens, he actually confessed in a 2016 interview that his departure from the media sphere was a result of "crippling" nerves.

"There was no training, it was sink or swim," he said.

The BBC were terrific, I loved the people and Match of the Day but I didn't enjoy the nerves."

Alan Hansen (R) is regarded as one of Liverpool's best ever players(Image: Getty Images)

The three-time European Cup winner's words were even given credence by Lineker himself, who gave an account of his fellow pundit's inner turmoil.

He used to shuffle his feet on the floor."

Yet Lineker adored working with Hansen and paid him the ultimate compliment of being one of the forefathers of modern day punditry.

"He was probably the first person that went down the more analytic route, a path now followed by so many," Lineker said in April 2023.