McAllister faces toughest test

McAllister is back in the Highfield Road spotlight

 Photo gallery: McAllister's career in pictures

Having won six medals - including an MBE in the New Year Honours - in a little over a year, Gary McAllister now faces his toughest test yet.

In 19 years as a professional before he arrived at Liverpool, McAllister had won just two medals - with Motherwell in 1985 and with Leeds in 1992.

But the midfielder's 20th year as a footballer saw him play an integral part in Liverpool's treble-winning success last season.

  Gary McAllister factfile

Born: 25 Dec 1964.

Clubs: Motherwell Sep 81-Aug 85; Leicester Aug 85-Jul 90; Leeds Jul 90-Jul 96; Coventry Jul 96-Jul 00; Liverpool Jul 00-02.

Club honours: Motherwell - Scottish Division One title 1985; Leeds - Division One title 1992; Liverpool - Worthington Cup 2001, FA Cup 2001, Uefa Cup 2001, Charity Shield 2001, European Super Cup 2001.

International honours: 57 caps for Scotland

In just over one season with Liverpool, he went on to win five trophies.

 More McAllister facts and figures

This year, an MBE at the age of 37 followed and McAllister now makes another step up with his first move into management with Coventry City.

He left Highfield Road less than two years ago, Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier taking him to Anfield on a free transfer to provide experience to his young players.

It was a masterstroke in man-management that McAllister will have done well to learn from.

Born in Motherwell in 1964, McAllister had four years with his hometown club before joining Leicester for £150,000 in the summer of 1985.

Five years later, after 200-plus games, he moved to Leeds for £1m, with whom he won the championship.

Fanfare: McAllister can win support

A £3m move to Coventry followed in 1996 before that Bosman transfer to Liverpool.

Yet, for McAllister, the best times were about to come as the opportunity to play in an emerging side gave him a new lease of life.

He scored a penalty winner against Barcelona in the Uefa Cup semi-final and a 40-yard free-kick that won the Merseyside derby against Everton.

He followed that with dead-ball crackers against Coventry and Bradford in the run-in that took Liverpool into the Champions League.

But McAllister saved his very best for two finals last May.

His appearance as substitute turned the FA Cup final, as much as Michael Owen's goals, after Liverpool had seemed to be heading for defeat against Arsenal.

McAllister shone at last year's Uefa Cup

Four days later he was on from the start against Alaves in the Uefa Cup final in Dortmund.

McAllister had a hand in four of the five Liverpool goals in a memorable 5-4 victory.

As well as a scoring a penalty, it was from his free-kick in the 117th minute that Alaves' Delfi Geli scored a golden own goal.

At the start of this season McAllister also scored a penalty in the Charity Shield win over Manchester United.

His success was even more remarkable when you consider his first few months at Anfield had been so difficult.

That was partly due to injury but also because his wife Denise was battling to overcome breast cancer.

As chemotherapy carried a risk to her unborn child, she refused the treatment, and waited two weeks until it was safe to induce the birth and baby Oliver was born safe and well.

Uefa hero

She was then able to receive treatment and in remission attended the final in Dortmund.

McAllister won the Man of the Match award at that game.

He subsequently donated his prize money to two breast cancer charities - Christie's Hospital in Manchester and the MacMillan Trust.

That so much of Liverpool's success was derived from McAllister's penalty expertise was poignant given the painful memory of his spot-kick miss for Scotland against England in Euro 96.

Even though a McAllister penalty took Scotland took to the 1998 World Cup finals, he became a persistent target of abuse for a section of the Tartan Army.

When Scotland lost 2-1 to the Czech Republic in 1999 and McAllister was incessantly jeered he announced his retirement from international football, having won 57 caps.

Like that other legendary Scot, Robert the Bruce, McAllister's medals are reward for never giving up in the face of enormous challenges.

Arguably, his biggest challenge has only just started.