Jurgen Klopp gave his opinion on the greatest Liverpool free transfer on Wednesday. We don’t think Liverpool have seen better than Gary McAllister, however.
Jurgen Klopp feels the two best free transfers Liverpool have seen are currently at the club – James Milner and Joel Matip. The two of them have been remarkable signings, of course, helping to deliver the game’s biggest trophies.
The fact Liverpool didn’t pay anything for them is simply brilliant and Klopp clearly feels fortunate to have them.
“Which are the best-ever signings on a free transfer?” Klopp said on Wednesday. “I can imagine it would be a really close race between Millie and Joel.
“They both came for free and are absolutely out-out-outstanding players. I don’t think what we reached in the last few years would have happened without them.”
Both are brilliant, of course, but they’re not quite getting our vote as the greatest Liverpool free transfer.
Gary McAllister – the greatest Liverpool free transfer
Back in 2000, Liverpool decided to bring in 35-year-old Gary McAllister on a Bosman transfer from Coventry City. It was, in some ways, a bizarre signing. The Reds boasted plenty of midfield players, including an up-and-coming Steven Gerrard.
Gerrard admits in hindsight that he was ‘devastated’ at the singing.
“I was devastated to be honest,” he said, per Liverpoolfc.com. “I was thinking he’s going to come and take my place and I wasn’t going to play so my initial reaction was another top international midfielder to fight with.”
However, manager Gerard Houllier would label McAllister his ‘most influential signing’. That’s because McAllister would prove to be a vital piece in a side that would succeed in every competition the following season.
In fact, Liverpool went on to achieve a remarkable feat that season – they played every possible game they could on their way to lifting three trophies. The Reds enjoyed their most successful season in over a decade that year, with McAllister playing a starring role.
He scored a penalty in the League Cup final shoot-out victory and played the final half-hour as Liverpool overcame an incredible Arsenal side to win the FA Cup. A penalty at Camp Nou to knock Barcelona out of the UEFA Cup semi-final put the Reds into their first European final for 16 years.
McAllister’s finest hour came in the UEFA Cup final, though, as he won Man of the Match in a 5-4 extra-time win, including taking a free-kick that led to the Golden Goal. That was Liverpool’s first European trophy since 1984 – a historic triumph.
In the Premier League, too, McAllister had his moments as Liverpool finished in the Champions League places. Unquestionably, his golden moment was a ridiculous free-kick in stoppage time to beat Everton at Goodison Park. It’s an all-time Premier League moment.
That season was a revival of Liverpool football club and McAllister was an enormous part of that.
Influential
His legacy goes beyond that, though. The influence McAllister had on Gerrard was phenomenal, as the Reds legend has explained himself.
“I knew there was a player there that I could learn off both on and off the pitch,” said Gerrard, who labels his former teammate ‘fantastic’. “He took a shine to me and helped me a lot to progress as a footballer on the pitch but also how to be humble and be a decent person off it.
“So I owe Gary Mac an awful lot.”
The true evidence of how much McAllister means to Gerrard is seen in the Scot being Gerrard’s assistant in management. For everything the Scouser went on to be, there’s that underlying influence from McAllister.
And when you put all of that together, there’s never been a better free transfer at Liverpool.
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