Liverpool FC appointed former player Gary McAllister as the club’s new first team coach.
Liverpool endured a horror campaign, last time out, and are subsequently reshuffling the backroom staff after giving Brendan Rodgers another season. Sean O’Driscoll replaced Colin Pascoe as the new assistant manager and Pepijn Lijnders moved up from the Academy for the newly created position of first team development coach.
And now McAllister has been appointed the role of the new first team coach and he will replace Mike Marsh, whose contract was not renewed.
50 year-old McAllister spent two years with the Reds and became a cult hero in the process. He was brought in at the age of 35 by Gerard Houllier, and many were surprised at his (free) transfer from Coventry City. However, he proved to be an astute signing for the Reds and was instrumental in Liverpool winning a treble a year later.
“I’m delighted. I’m really excited about the prospect of coming back. It’s fantastic and I’m really looking forward to it. I feel as if I owe Liverpool, getting that opportunity at the last stage of my career, at 35 and getting that opportunity..
“This is similar, I feel the same as I did with that – that was a surprise phone call back then when I was given a chance to come and play at Liverpool as a 35-year-old. Right place at the right time, and I just hope it repeats itself.
“A lot of hard work and dedication… everything is there, Liverpool is a club where you can win things – that’s a fact.”
“I’m looking forward to working with the players,” he added. “There have been some exciting signings and there are some fantastic players already at the club.
“There’s definite quality there and I’m just looking forward to getting in amongst it.”
McAllister managed Coventry City and Leeds United before spells on the backroom staff at Middlesbrough and Aston Villa, where he was assistant manager to Gerard Houllier
