Graeme Souness has revealed that he is trapped in Abu Dhabi amid Iranian strikes, with the Liverpool legend sharing an update on social media detailing the ‘loud bangs’ he heard overhead.
Chaos has sparked throughout the Gulf since Saturday morning, with United Arab Emirates states Dubai and Abu Dhabi, as well as Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait, targeted.
Caught up in the deadly unfolding aggression between Iran and the United States, who launched a joint daylight strike with Israel in the early hours of the day are thousands of expats and holidaymakers in the region.
Souness, who was last in the UAE as recently as three weeks ago in his capacity as a Liverpool ambassador, was among them, with the 72-year-old faced with lengthy delays as he waited at Abu Dhabi airport.
‘Currently in the Middle East, in Abu Dhabi Airport, I’ll give you a quick glimpse of where I am,’ he shared in a videoed Instagram Story. ‘That is my plane. That I am meant to be catching to go back to the UK.
‘My mum said to me – bear with me – when I was a little boy, “wherever you are, there’s never a dull moment.”
‘So I was thinking this weekend, the biggest game of the season for me, Rangers-Celtic, a game that if Rangers win, that’ll put the cat among the pigeons in a big way.
‘My mum said, “wherever you are son, there’s never a dull moment”, well, I’m at this airport, and we’re hearing some pretty loud bangs going off, and that is anti-missiles taking out missiles that are being fired at some American base.’
In a second video, Souness admitted that despite the inconvenience the strikes presented, he was fortunate compared to many swept up in conflict between the United States and Israel, and the Islamic Republic.
US bases in the region have been targeted, but there have been civilian targets too, including the Palm Jumeirah Fairmont Hotel in Dubai, Kuwait International Airport, and residential buildings in Bahrain.
Dramatic footage and images captured the moment the five-star hotel was hit and set ablaze to the front of the building’s exterior by an ultra-fast Shahed drone.
Four people are said to have been injured in the attack, according to the Dubai media office, with witnesses stating ambulances had rushed to the scene.
‘Chaos continues,’ Souness said in another video in the terminal. ‘The flight’s been cancelled, still hearing explosives, so we give up.
‘We’re just going to check into a hotel for a couple of nights and see where we are. Hopefully, this will settle down and we’ll get back on our flight.
‘You get grumpy – well I do – when you get delayed and stuff at airports but I think we should think of people that maybe at this point might die. Anyway, I’ll keep you posted.’
Elsewhere in the football world, BeIN Sport presenter Richard Keys was forced off the air ahead of Premier League coverage on Saturday morning.
The former Sky Sports presenter, who has worked in the Gulf state since 2013, shared on social media: ‘Thank you all for your messages. It was a bit lively earlier. I don’t have space to express my feelings about that idiot Trump. No show today.
‘You’ll be in the capable hands of our colleagues in London. Thoughts & prayers for everyone in our region. Ramadan Kareem.’
