Football legend in new 'butterfly skin' charity challenge

Football legend Graeme Souness is embarking on a new fundraising challenge, just months after undergoing shoulder surgery.

Last year, the former player and pundit completed a relay swim of the English Channel for DEBRA UK, a charity supporting people with the skin disease Epidermolysis bullosa (EB), also known as butterfly skin.

The relay team is reforming - this time to swim the Channel in both directions - followed by an 85-mile cycle ride from Dover to London.

The 71-year-old, who is still recovering from surgery, will be joining the cycling part of the challenge, which takes place in September.

Souness, who is vice president of DEBRA UK, got involved with the charity after meeting 16-year-old Isla Grist who has the disease.

The teenager, from Inverness, endures severe blistering and lives in constant pain as a result of EB.

Souness described it as the "cruellest disease out there".

The former Liverpool and Scotland captain, who lives in Sandbanks, Dorset, underwent surgery in January after injuring his shoulder during last year's cross-channel swim.

He hoped swimming would "free it up a wee bit more" but a recent scan revealed the shoulder had not sufficiently healed so he will join the support boat.

"It's not up to the swim the guys are going to do in September. I just can't risk it.

"I'll be going on the boat - I'll be giving them stick at every opportunity," he joked.

He said the cycling was "the least of my worries" so would be taking part in the Dover to London ride.

DEBRA UK provides community support to improve quality of life for those with EB, as well as research into drug treatments to help stop the pain.

The six-person relay team, which also included Isla's father, Andy, completed last year's 21-mile swim in 12 hours and 17 minutes, raising £4.5m for the charity.

Mr Grist said: "It's fantastic, not just for me but for Isla too - she gets a lot from this.

"It's going to be much tougher. I've really missed it."

Follow BBC South on Facebook, external, Twitter, external, or Instagram, external. Send your story ideas to [email protected], external.