Gary McAllister only played 87 times for Liverpool, but his impact on the club has always felt far bigger than that number.
The Scot arrived on a free transfer at the age of 35, won four trophies, scored famous goals and helped shape a young dressing room that would later deliver even more success.
Now Steven Gerrard has explained just how important McAllister was to him personally during those formative Anfield years.
Speaking to BBC Scotland for BBC Sport’s Icons of Football series, Gerrard admitted that McAllister’s arrival initially made him nervous.
The former Liverpool captain said: “When he arrived, I thought he was a threat for my position, because I knew he was a top player, but from day one, from the first conversation we connected, he had time for me. Went out of his way to help me.”
That honesty says plenty because Gerrard was already one of the most exciting young players in the country, yet the older midfielder clearly gave him something Liverpool needed at that time.
The 2001 treble team had quality, energy and character, but McAllister brought the sort of calm authority that only experience can provide.
Gerrard added: “We were a gang of toe-rags, shall we say.
“He brought calmness to the dressing room, big-game knowledge, a lot of wisdom.”
McAllister’s move to Liverpool was such a surprise that Gordon Strachan later joked he didn’t believe the midfielder would actually end up at Anfield.
Once he arrived, though, the free transfer became one of Gerard Houllier’s most inspired decisions.
Gerrard said: “Gary was vital for me, he certainly helped me both on and off the pitch become a better professional, a better person.”
That influence mattered beyond one season because Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Michael Owen and Danny Murphy all learned what winning looked like from a player who carried himself like an extra coach inside the dressing room.
It’s no wonder Liverpool supporters still hold McAllister in such affection, or that Jurgen Klopp later enjoyed giving Alexis Mac Allister the familiar “Gary” nickname.
For Gerrard, the real legacy was simple: McAllister didn’t just help us win, he helped Liverpool’s next leaders understand how to win.
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