A RANGERS legend has revealed how a life-limiting skin condition which affects children has led him into a life of atheism.
Graeme Souness, who played and managed the Glasgow side in the 1980s, 'stopped believing in God' after learning about epidermolysis bullosa (EB) at a charity dinner, The Scottish Sun reports.
The condition, also known as 'butterfly skin', is an incurable disease, which causes painful blisters and tears from any trauma or friction to the skin.
Speaking on the condition, the 70-year-old said: "I wasn’t aware of the disease until five years ago, and it’s the most evil and cruellest of all diseases.
"It just robs these young people of any quality of life. It’s life-limiting for these poor children and it’s not just the sufferers but also the families that have to deal with it which is traumatic, to say the least.
"And it has changed me as a human being. I am now an atheist because I cannot believe there is an almighty that would allow this to happen to one person."
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Souness is now vice president of the charity DEBRA, which supports people living with EB.
He has helped raise more than £500,000 and has become close to 14-year-old EB sufferer Isla Grist and her family.
The ex-Scotland captain said: "My little girl, she’s not my little girl but I’ve become very close to her, Isla, and it’s like someone has taken a torch to their skin.
"It’s continually raw in their mouths and there’s not a moment of the day when she’s not in pain.
"Do you remember when you have burned the end of your finger with a little bit of hot water and you think it’s the sorest thing that could possibly happen? Imagine your whole body being covered in that.
"It’s red-raw and they lose their skin.
"These kids have to take the strongest of drugs to get through their lives like ketamine, diamorphine and it’s just the most painful, cruellest, worst thing you could experience as a human being."
Souness recently left his role as a Sky Sports pundit after 15 years.
He joined the broadcaster in 2008 after a 22-year management career.
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