When Gary McAllister informed his former Coventry City manager that Liverpool was interested in him, Gordon Strachan has said that he believed the midfield player was a “lunatic.”
After his contract with Sky Blues expired in 2000, McAllister shocked everyone by signing a free transfer to the Reds at the age of 35.
Although this move caused some to scoff, the verteran soon silenced his detractors—among them, a young Steven Gerrard—to become an indispensable part of the Liverpool team that won the treble in the 2000–01 season and become a contemporary club icon.
Despite approaching his senior years, McAllister, who was captain of Coventry at the time of his departure, had drawn the attention of the Reds in the first place with an impressive 13 goals in all competitions during his final season with the Sky Blues.
Therefore, Strachan acknowledges that when McAllister inquired about the potential of a new contract with the club just a few months before he left, he did not think his colleague had any chance of joining Liverpool.
“I recall him asking, ‘What about a new contract?'” around April.
When discussing the five greatest captains he collaborated with during his career, Strachan reflected on those moments on Football’s Greatest podcast With Jeff Stelling.
He told me, “Because I’ve got a chance here.” He was perhaps 35 years old at the time, and he added, “I have a chance of going to Liverpool.”
“I told the chairman that he appeared to be headed to Liverpool! He’s not heading to Liverpool, so forget it! And he did.
Furthermore, Strachan has acknowledged that he talked to his countryman to convince him to relocate to Coventry. He went to Coventry with me. He said, “Ron (Atkinson) wanted him.” “Couldn’t believe we would succeed in capturing him.” “I think Gary wants to move on now,” I remarked.
Yes (I convinced him), so FA, if you feel like it, you can have me right now. I was stealing players, but I don’t care anymore. I’ve moved passed the empathy stage.
Only because he’s a close buddy, though. When he did, he was fantastic. He eventually settled in Coventry, where he enjoyed great success and a charming personality.
In the meantime, Strachan provided an explanation of the amount of effort McAllister made over his career to enable a move to Liverpool in the first place.
He remarked, “I’ve known him for a very long time.” “We’re now the best of friends. I adore him, truly adore him.
“I’ve argued with him before. Because he understood the tension of the situation and that neither of us wanted to lose to the other, Howard (Wilkinson) used to pit me and him against each other when he was selecting two teams for training. It also functioned when jogging and throughout training.