Alan Hansen's poetic reason for leaving Match of the Day involves Liverpool heroics

Liverpool great Alan Hansen stepped away from Match of the Day in 2014 and, at the time, he shared his poetic reason for doing so.

Hansen is hopefully on the road to recovery, having been admitted to hospital after falling 'seriously ill'. Fellow Liverpool great Graeme Souness provided the most recent update, stating that the 69-year-old is 'definitely on his way back'.

Beloved well beyond the four walls of Anfield due to his punditry work, Hansen has subsequently revealed that worsening nerves played a big part in his decision to end his long involvement with Match of the Day. Gary Lineker, who still hosts the show, has confirmed that they became 'crippling' for the former defender.

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However, the initial reason he gave for his departure no doubt also had an element of truth to it. Hansen expressed a desire to go out on top of his game, just as he had done as a player at Liverpool.

"I'm retiring from Match of the Day at the end of the season," Hansen announced in 2014 (per the Mirror). "I will have been there for 22 years and will be 59, so it's the right time for me.

"The guys at the BBC know me and I said, 'Look, this is categorical. I'm leaving and nothing will make me change my mind'.

"I am contracted to do the World Cup and I will do that as it will be a good way to go out, but I have had a great run. I've been in football for 41 years and I'm going out right at the top, just as I did at Liverpool."

Hansen did indeed bow out at the very highest level. Joining Liverpool from Partick Thistle in 1977, he would ultimately end his career at Anfield in 1991, having made 620 appearances.

Unable to feature in his final campaign, 1990/91 marked just the third season out of 14 at Liverpool in which Hansen went without a trophy. It's hard to argue that he knows when to call it a day.

Liverpool.com says: It came out afterwards that Hansen was struggling with his nerves, and credit must go to him for speaking openly about that. But he was a consummate professional, and nobody watching Match of the Day at home would have known about his turmoil.

Ultimately, a quiet retirement for Hansen was well-earned. We continue to think of him and his family.