<p>Alan Hansen, the former center-back for Liverpool and the Scotland national team, has entered the hospital as he battles a serious illness. The Reds announced that the club’s former defender has the side’s support in a troubling time. Hansen, who is 38 years old, ranks in the top 10 appearance makers in the history of <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/liverpool-tv-schedule/">Liverpool</a>. He played in a total of 620 fixtures with the Reds. </p>



<p>Unlike most of the players on that list of Liverpool greats, Hansen did not start his career at Anfield. In fact, he spent just 14 years with the club. He spent the first portion of his career with Partick Thistle in Scotland. Hansen broke into the first team in 1973, but his greatest success came with the Scottish side in 1975/75. Partick Thistle won the Scottish First Division to earn a spot in the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/scottish-premiership-tv-schedule/">Scottish Premier Division</a>. That success led to 35 appearances in the Scottish top flight, which garnered the interest of Liverpool. He eventually moved down south to Liverpool, where Hansen put together an illustrious career.</p>



<p>Wearing the red kit of Liverpool, Hansen emerged as one of the best center-backs in the club’s history.  His 14-year career with Liverpool led to eight First Division titles. He also won six domestic cups with two FA Cups and four League Cups. He tacked on a further three European Cups to help Liverpool build its European dominance among the clubs in England. Persistent knee problems ended his career at Liverpool, but he would go down as an elite player for Liverpool who delivered immense success.</p>



<p>Those triumphs were less apparent with the Scotland national team, where Hansen made 26 appearances. He played in the 1982 World Cup with Scotland, but a worse goal differential sent the Scots out of the tournament. He did not feature in the 1986 World Cup, as head coach Alex Ferguson denied his spot in the squad. Hansen disagreed with that choice as Ferguson cited that the defender’s attitude toward Scotland was not great.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="670" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20240610_WST_511021_Alan-Hansen-League-Cup-1200x670_e7074910.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=670" alt="" class="wp-image-511024" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/06/Alan-Hansen-League-Cup-1200x670.jpg 1200w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/06/Alan-Hansen-League-Cup-300x168.jpg 300w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/06/Alan-Hansen-League-Cup-768x429.jpg 768w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/06/Alan-Hansen-League-Cup.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure></figure>



<h2>Alan Hansen battling illness with support of Liverpool, Scotland and others</h2>



<p>Liverpool said it is thinking about Hansen in this trying time. </p>



<p>“A defender of the utmost elegance, Hansen’s outstanding raft of honors across a 14-year spell with the Reds – he joined from Partick Thistle in 1977 – included eight league titles, three European Cups, two FA Cups and three League Cups,” Liverpool said in a <a href="https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/lfc-sends-support-alan-hansen" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">statement</a>. “‘Jocky,’ as he was known by teammates, is in the top 10 for all-time appearances for the club having played 620 matches, and the Scottish center-back also served as Liverpool skipper for four seasons. The club is currently in contact with Alan’s family to provide our support at this difficult time, and our thoughts, wishes and hopes are with Alan and all of the Hansen family.”</p>



<p>The club did not reveal what illness Hansen is struggling with. Yet, the considerable action surrounding Hansen indicates its severity. Scotland chimed in with <a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/scotland-liverpool-alan-hansen-illness-33000311" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">its support</a> as well, calling Hansen a legend of the game.</p>



<p><em>PHOTOS: IMAGO</em></p>

Liverpool and Scotland icon Alan Hansen in hospital with illness

Alan Hansen, the former center-back for Liverpool and the Scotland national team, has entered the hospital as he battles a serious illness.


<p>Malik Tillman scored a goal in his third-straight game in all competitions on Sunday. However, this one certainly takes the cake as the most bizarre, stirring up controversy as it happened. </p>



<p>In Rangers’s <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/scottish-cup-tv-schedule/">Scottish Cup</a> tie against Partick Thistle, the two clubs were tied in the 71st minute, 1-1. Malik Tillman went down with an injury in a non-contact play. Fortunately, it was not serious for the player that missed out on the USMNT World Cup squad. As <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/news/us-coach-anthony-hudson-visits-uk-to-scout-usmnt-stars-20230211-WST-419453.html">the American</a> remained down after a challenge, Rangers kicked the ball out so the midfielder could receive attention. In a showing of good sportsmanship, Partick Thistle prepared to hoof the ball back to Rangers, as the hosts stopped play for Tillman. </p>



<p>However, Malik Tillman jumped on the clearing attempt and drove towards goal. He eventually beat Thistle goalkeeper Jamie Sneddon, giving Rangers the lead, 2-1. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">USMNT&apos;s Malik Tillman scored a controversial goal for Rangers in their 3-2 win in the Scottish Cup over Partick Thistle. 😳<br><br>Rangers manager Michael Beale told his team to let Thistle score right after in a show of sportsmanship.<br><br>🎥: <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/ViaplaySportsUK?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ViaplaySportsUK</a> <a href="https:\/\/t.co/F0TL0qrrAh">pic.twitter.com/F0TL0qrrAh</a></p>— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/CBSSportsGolazo/status/1624834956395511811?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https:\/\/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p>Irate with Tillman’s actions, Partick Thistle players bumped the American to the ground. The melee led to a player on each team receiving a yellow card. However, Rangers manager Michael Beale instructed his players to let Partick Thistle score in a show of good sportsmanship on its own. From kickoff, Scott Tiffoney dribbled through a standing Rangers defense and passed the ball home. Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor was perhaps the biggest loser, forced into conceding.</p>



<h2>Malik Tillman goal came out of confusion, says coach</h2>



<p>Michael Beale defended his player despite the confusion and controversy. Acts of sportsmanship are nothing new. Throwing the ball back to the other team, big clearances when someone is injured or stopping an attack. However, Beale says his player was simply unaware of the greater situation. </p>



<p>“Malik gets injured and we play the ball out,” Beale said after the game. “Malik is down on the floor and he doesn’t see that we have played the ball out. So by the time Malik gets up, he sees they have a throw-in and he puts his hand up to the referee as if to say: ‘How have they got a throw?’ and then he presses as he has been taught. He is completely unaware of the situation.”</p>



<p>Rangers, second in the <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/scottish-premiership-tv-schedule/">Scottish Premiership</a>, was by far the favorite against Partick Thistle, the fifth-place team in the <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/scottish-championship-tv-schedule/">Scottish Championship</a>.</p>



<p>“I will tell you why it was the right thing to do,” Beale added. “Malik Tillman is a fantastic young player and I don’t want that hanging around his head. He has never cheated anyone in his life and as a football club we have high standards.”</p>



<h5>Two American goals</h5>



<p>After the debacle that ended up with the game level at two, another American played the role of hero at Ibrox. James Sands, who also missed out on the <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/news/usmnt-world-cup-squad-revealed-20221109-WST-407526.html">World Cup 2022 squad</a>, scored his first goal of the campaign in a massive moment. It was a bit of a fortunate break on a corner. However, Sands accepted the tally, and Rangers accepted the win.</p>



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<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">WHAT A GAME! 🔵👏<a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/RangersFC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RangersFC</a> take the lead as Borna Barišić whips a tempting ball in from a corner and the ball comes off a Partick Thistle player for an own goal <br><br>Is that the winner? 👀<a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/hashtag/ScottishCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ScottishCup</a> | <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/ScottishCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ScottishCup</a> <a href="https:\/\/t.co/uhwslRPSXe">pic.twitter.com/uhwslRPSXe</a></p>— Viaplay Sports UK (@ViaplaySportsUK) <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/ViaplaySportsUK/status/1624828006752731136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https:\/\/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p>While goals are rare for the American defender, they are not for Malik Tillman. His controversial goal in this game was his ninth in all competitions this season. However, it was his <a href="https:\/\/www.transfermarkt.us/malik-tillman/leistungsdaten/spieler/467437" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">third-straight game</a> with a goal.</p>



<p>Rangers advanced in the Scottish Cup to the quarterfinals looking to defend its title. Unfortunately, it wasn’t good news for Partick Thistle manager Ian McCall who was let go after the game.</p>



<p><em>PHOTO: IMAGO / Colorsport</em></p>


Malik Tillman scored his ninth goal of the current campaign. However, he may not score a more controversial goal in his entire career.

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Liverpool and Scotland icon Alan Hansen in hospital with illness

Leagues: Scottish Premiership

Malik Tillman at center of controversy after bizarre goal