11 Legendary Hardmen Who Make Modern Footballers Look Like Wimps

9. Graeme Souness

A controversial manager and television pundit, Souness certainly had a reputation for being feisty during his playing days, and although he was without doubt a hardman, he was also a sensational footballer, lighting up leagues all across Europe with his breathtaking play. Eventually he ended up at Rangers towards the back end of his career, and left his mark on Scotland less than 45 minutes into his debut. Rangers were playing Hibernian, and Souness flew into a tackle that saw opponent George McCluskey hobble off, sparking a 22-man melee that set the tone for his tenacious time in blue. That's quite an impact for your debut. Souness was typically unapologetic about the incident, merely stating he had crunched the wrong man in a case of mistaken identity.