Graeme Souness stuck in Abu Dhabi airport as he hears ‘loud bangs’ from missiles | Football | Sport
Graeme Souness has found himself stuck in Abu Dhabi after the Middle East descended into conflict – with the Liverpool legend revealing he heard loud explosions from the airport. Souness shared footage from Zayed International Airport on Saturday evening following the US and Israel’s launch of a significant strike on locations throughout Iran. Blasts were audible in Dubai – with an upmarket hotel erupting in flames, leaving four people wounded – whilst one death has also been confirmed in Abu Dhabi after wreckage landed on a residential district.
Scottish icon Souness had planned to return home from Abu Dhabi to the UK but became caught in the travel disruption after the barrage of missiles compelled Gulf nations to shut their airspace. The 72-year-old was scheduled to travel with Etihad, but the carrier has grounded all flights until 2pm UAE time on Sunday, March 1.
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The Liverpool ambassador confirmed he had heard detonations around the UAE capital from the airport terminal, but said he was secure and preparing to check into a neighbouring hotel.
Posting footage initially from his boarding gate on the eve of the Old Firm derby at Ibrox, he remarked: “I’m currently in the Middle East in Abu Dhabi airport. I’ll just give you a little quick glimpse where I am… that is my plane that I am meant to be catching to go back to the UK.”
“Now my mum said to me when I was a little boy, ‘wherever you are son, there’s never a dull moment.’ So I was thinking this weekend, you know, the biggest game of the season for me, the Rangers-Celtic game, a game that the Rangers are only going to put the cap on to play against big style.
“Anyway, my mum said to me wherever you are son, there’s never a dull moment. Well, right now I’m in this airport, I’m hearing some pretty loud bangs going off and anti-missiles, taking out missiles that are being fired at some American base.”
In a subsequent video posted to his Instagram stories, he said: “The case continues. Flight’s been cancelled, still hearing explosions. So we’ll give up. We’re just going to check into a hotel for a couple of nights and see where we are.
“Hopefully things will settle down, we’ll get back on our flight. You get grumpy when you get delays and stuff at airports. But, you know, I think we should think of people that maybe at this time are dying. Anyway, I’ll keep you posted.”
Other international carriers including Emirates, Qatar Airways and British Airways have suspended all flights to and from the region.
