Man Utd sent Alan Hansen a T-shirt after 'You can’t win anything with kids’ statement

Alan Hansen has enjoyed a glittering career both on the pitch and off it, although he has admitted he got his defining moment in punditry ‘dramatically wrong’ – and Manchester United didn’t let him forget it.

The Liverpool legend is currently seriously ill in hospital, as confirmed by the club on Sunday. The 68-year-old has received messages from the likes of Gary Lineker and Jamie Carragher as he’s supported by Liverpool and his family.

Hansen spent 14 years at Liverpool, having begun his career at Partick Thistle, and enjoyed a career filled with success. He made 620 appearances for the club, and won eight league titles, three European Cups, two FA Cups and three League Cups.

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After hanging up his boots in 1991, Hansen made the move into punditry, and became one of the most prominent faces on UK television. He was a regular on Match of the Day, where he made his most famous prediction in 1995.

Remarking on Manchester United after an opening day defeat to Aston Villa, Hansen said: “I think they’ve got problems, I wouldn’t say they’ve got major problems. Three players have departed. The trick is to always buy when you’re strong, so he [Ferguson] needs to buy players.

“You can’t win anything with kids. You look at that Manchester United line-up today and Aston Villa when they get the team sheet it’s just going to give them a lift. It will happen every time he plays the kids. The trick to winning the championship is having strength in depth.”

The claim would backfire on Hansen as United went on to win the league title that season. The former defender has owned the mistake over the years, although the Old Trafford club made sure he didn’t forget it.

“They had a T-shirt on sale at Old Trafford, Man United sent me one,” Hansen revealed in an interview with Jamie Redknapp in 2016. “The line actually came from Bob Paisley.

“I was in my first season at Liverpool, we were struggling and Bob tells the press: ‘The only person playing half-decent is Alan Hansen.’ I think I’m doing all right. Of course, the team sheet comes in on the Friday and I’m the only one missing. So I go and see him and he just says: ‘Son, the longer you are in this game the more you will realise that experience is everything.’

“Fair enough. The more I played, the more I realised experience is everything. So, I’m thinking, I can’t say that on TV, so I flipped it, but what I meant to say is: ‘You can’t win everything with kids.’

“In the history of punditry, I imagine that phrase gets used more than anything else. I got it dramatically wrong... but in many ways it’s right. Even the Manchester United lads will tell you they had Steve Bruce and Gary Pallister, Peter Schmeichel in goal, Roy Keane, Eric Cantona. Experience, you see.”