The only symptom I had was tiredness – one simple health test saved my life

Football legend Graeme Souness revealed one simple health test uncovered his high blood pressure, resulting in his life-changing heart surgery.

Souness is known for a stellar career from the 1970s until the early 1990s, during which he played for the likes of Middlesbrough, Liverpool, and Rangers. The Scottish midfielder was a player-manager at Rangers before hanging up his boots and taking up a role in the dugout for the Reds, for whom he had made 354 appearances as a player.

But while he was the manager of Liverpool in 1992, aged just 38, Souness began to experience tiredness - the only sign that he was suffering from a serious underlying issue. Despite leading a healthy lifestyle even post retirement, a doctor deemed his blood pressure “very high”, before further tests revealed he needed a triple bypass.

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The former Sky Sports pundit wrote in the Metro earlier this year: “The only clue I had that something was wrong was just the tiredness. It was something I’d never experienced before. I also noticed that just one glass of wine or pint of beer would start a headache coming on, but I still didn’t think there was anything badly wrong, other than a vague sense of being a bit out-of-sorts.

“So to say it was a shock to discover I had coronary heart disease, which is when a blockage stops blood supply to the heart, meaning I needed a triple bypass, is an understatement.”

Almost 32 years on from his open-heart surgery, Souness is managing his condition with simple medication and wants others to get their blood pressure checked by supporting a new campaign by NHS England.

He added: “I’m the perfect example of how high blood pressure can truly impact anyone, no matter who they are. So my message is simple – go and get checked. It’s scary thinking back that I had no idea how badly wrong things were going in my body, but now we have much better awareness, and knowing your blood pressure could genuinely save your life.

“It’s incredibly helpful as well that pharmacies are able to help with this campaign – it’s free and you don’t need to book in advance. It’s simply a matter of Googling your nearest pharmacy, getting that sleeve on the arm and the quick check, and you’re on your way within five minutes.

“Getting checked over is an investment for your future health, looking after yourself while you are young – and even at my age – is the right thing to do for your health and your family!

"Taking a couple of pills every day is a small price to pay for the health and time with my family I’ve enjoyed since that first diagnosis. Take it from someone who never thought they would have high blood pressure, much less major heart surgery – it can happen to absolutely anyone, at any time.”