There are few people in the world that would take being called an 'absolute bastard' with a rye smile, but John Giles will be pleased with Graeme Souness' comments.

After Giles named Souness in his all-time Scotland XI, it was put to Souness that Giles recalled the Scot telling him "I'll break your fuckin' legs!"

With long enough now passed for both to recall with it a laugh, Souness gave his side of things to Sky Sports' Football Show.

“I can remember it vividly. I can remember Ayresome Park. Because he was an absolute rascal," said Souness of Giles.

“I was a lot bigger than Johnny, and I was a lot bigger than Billy Bremner. And I can remember playing against that Leeds team when I’m 20 years old. I’m diving into tackles and I might have been trying to catch Johnny. Never did.

“It’s no longer there, but I could take you onto Ayresome Park, by the corner flag, someone’s played a short corner to me, and as I’ve played it first time, I didn’t know he was on my shoulder and he’s just gone, ‘Eh, have some of that’. His six studs, a real stinger.”

Souness & Giles respect

But the respect was definitely there between the two, as Souness reiterated.

“Apart from being someone who could very much look after himself, he was a top performer. A master craftsman, You know, proper player. But nasty little bastard.”

“I say to people, there are three players I never laid a finger on, in my career.

"In those days, it was part of my job, because I was big for a midfield player.  One was Zico. Too cute, had a radar. Another one was Alan Ball and I’ve got to throw Johnny Giles into that as well.

“I caught (Billy) Bremner a few times but could never lay a finger on Johnny.

“And he reminds me!”

We'd say he does...

"I'll break your f****n' legs, John!"

"Yeah, we'll see, Graeme" | 😂

John Giles recalled some of his battles with Graeme Souness | @LUFC @LFC@paddypower

Full Video ➡️ https://t.co/OZMBaIXFxy pic.twitter.com/yqkzdEl2V3

— Off The Ball (@offtheball) June 5, 2020

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