Liverpool great John Barnes on the Grand National race that left him injured and sidelined for three games

Liverpool legend John Barnes has explained how he injured himself in bizarre and hilarious circumstances on a team trip to Aintree – and how he escaped the wrath of Kenny Dalglish.

The Grand National is coming up this week, and Barnes has some fond memories of the legendary Merseyside race.

But it wasn’t horses he can remember galloping down the final furlong – it was him and fellow Anfield great Alan ‘Jockey’ Hansen!

Some footballers just can’t turn off their competitive edge, which is clear from this story.

It all started when long-legged Hansen insisted he could beat winger Barnes in a foot race and –  after enjoying some ‘hospitality’ – where else to prove it than on the final furlong of the Grand National course?

It didn’t all go to plan for Barnes, though, as he explained on the Sports Breakfast…

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“I gave Alan Hansen five yards and he beat me by ten, because unfortunately I pulled my hamstring.

“I missed three games after that!

“Of course I expected a rollicking from Kenny Dalglish, but Kenny actually showed me a lot of sympathy.

“Kenny had a bet on Jockey winning anyway, so I don’t think he was too bothered about me missing those three games.

“I didn’t know money was on it until Kenny was quite pleased. Having lost me for three games I thought he’d be disappointed, but he wasn’t disappointed at all!

“That’s in the old days, Ally!”

Listen to John Barnes on the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast IN FULL above!