Steve McManaman

Steve McManaman
Personal information
Full name Steven McManaman
Date of birth 11 February 1972 (1972-02-11) (age 39)
Place of birth Kirkdale, Liverpool, England
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position Attacking Midfielder(Retired)
Youth career
1988–1990 Liverpool
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1990–1999 Liverpool 274 (46)
1999–2003 Real Madrid 94 (8)
2003–2005 Manchester City 35 (0)
Total 403 (54)
National team
1991–1993 England U21 7 (1)
1994–2001 England 37 (3)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Steven McManaman (born 11 February 1972 in Bootle, England) is a retired English footballer who played as a midfielder and winger.[1] His career included spells at two of European football's most successful clubs, Liverpool and Real Madrid. He also played for Manchester City.

He is the most decorated English footballer to have played at any foreign club in terms of trophies won overseas.[2] He was the first British player to win the UEFA Champions League title twice,[3] and was also the first English footballer to win the Champions League with a non-English club. In 2008, he was ranked third in a Top 10 of greatest British footballers to play overseas, just behind Kevin Keegan and John Charles.[4]

He is also notable for a contractual saga in the late 1990s, that resulted in his football transfer[5] becoming one of the most controversial and high profile Bosman ruling related transfers of all time[6][7], with the deal resulting in McManaman once becoming the highest paid British player in history, for the years 1999 through 2001[8].

After his retirement as a player in 2005, he became a football pundit for Setanta Sports and was an associate producer on the film Goal! 2. He is an ESPN analyst for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Contents

Club career

Liverpool

Early days

McManaman grew up as an Everton supporter,[9] but signed for Liverpool as an apprentice upon leaving school in 1988.[1] McManaman, a natural athlete and Cross Country marathon winner at schools level, signed as a professional on 19 February 1990 in what was to be Kenny Dalglish's final season as manager, eight days after McManaman's 18th birthday.[10] He made his Liverpool debut as a substitute in the Football League First Division on 15 December 1990, in a 2–0 league win over Sheffield United at Anfield,[11] and scored his first ever professional goal with a diving header the following season on 21 August 1991 in the 2 – 1 defeat to Manchester City at Maine Road.

Under new coach Graeme Souness, McManaman created and scored several crucial goals in the FA Cup, and his performances in that first season established him as a regular first team player. He collected a winner's medal in the 1992 FA Cup Final as Liverpool triumphed 2–0 against Sunderland and was named as the man of the match having set up the winner for Michael Thomas.[10] He also featured heavily in their run to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup. It was at this time that McManaman was described by Ian Rush as the most promising young player at Liverpool.[10]

Success and fame

Although McManaman had a couple of quieter seasons with the advent of the Premier League, he continued to develop a reputation as one of English Football's two wing wizards, alongside Ryan Giggs[3] of Manchester United, with both players known to "embarrass defences with their mazy runs, which too often lack the finishing touch they deserve".[12]

In 1993–94, McManaman showed fine form with two goals against Swindon Town and some assists including a spectacular run and assist against Tottenham Hotspur. However this form faltered after an incident with Bruce Grobbelaar towards the end of a Merseyside derby, when the players exchanged blows after Grobelaar lambasted McManaman for a poor clearance which led to a goal being conceded - an incident recently named as one of the top five bust ups between team mates in Premier League history.[13]

In 1994–95, McManaman got a new million pound contract, and was given a central, freer role by new coach Roy Evans, who wanted to utilise McManaman's natural running and dribbling ability to drift all over the park. It proved a successful decision as McManaman began mesmerising defences with runs that were later to become hallmarks of the Liverpool side of the 90s. That season he collected a League Cup winner's medal after scoring twice in his side's 2–1 win over Bolton; such was his performance that fans named it "The McManaman Final"[14]. For his second Wembley final appearance in succession he was awarded man of the match, the Alan Hardaker trophy, and earned a tribute from guest of honour, Stanley Matthews; one of the greatest wingers of previous generations, who exclaimed in the final: "I wish there are more dribblers like him."[15]

By the end of 1995–96, McManaman was top of the goal assists charts in the FA Premier League with 25 assists over the season, including assists and a man of the match award in a 4–3 victory over Newcastle United, a match voted the best of the decade in a Premier League poll known as the Ten Seasons Awards.[16] By now, McManaman was ranked as one of the finest midfielders in English football, and had developed a strong reputation on the European stage following UEFA Euro 1996,[17] earning praise from many at the time, including, Kevin Keegan, who said "there are few finer sights in world football than the sight of Steve McManaman running down the length of the pitch."[18]

McManaman had also been noted for his versatility in his free role, switching from right to left wings, and his ability to play in central midfield, behind the front pair, or as a forward, with many notable managers including then Ajax coach Louis Van Gaal, describing as a role few could pull off the way McManaman had[19]. McManaman was credited for making the role manager Evans gave him work, with the result being that Liverpool were playing some of the most aesthetically pleasing attacking football at the time in England[20]. McManaman was also said to have been one of only a handful of so called "talismanic" players along with Eric Cantona and Gianfranco Zola in the league at the time known to have the panache to lift supporters from their seats each time he got the ball[21] and managers would deploy a man-marker specifically to follow him for an entire game.[22] Then Middlesbrough manager, Bryan Robson, was quoted at the time as saying that "everyone in the Premiership knows that if you stop McManaman, you stop Liverpool."[23]

Changing times

However, things started to turn sour for McManaman and some of his team-mates. As their fame increased, tabloid newspaper stories of lad culture excesses emerged and this, fused with underachievement on the pitch, brought criticism in the media. Defeat to Alex Ferguson's Manchester United in the 1996 FA Cup Final, a game where the Liverpool team arrived to inspect the pitch wearing cream coloured Armani suits intensified the criticism.[24] McManaman, Jamie Redknapp, David James, Jason McAteer, Stan Collymore, and Robbie Fowler were reported to have cashed in on their new found fame as stars of the nascent FA Premier League, to live a high life involving groupies, clubbing and other "high jinks". Modelling contracts and deals with fashion labels like Top Man, Hugo Boss and Armani, culminated in their collective nickname: 'The Spice Boys.'[25] The situation was further aggravated by stories of McManaman and Fowler's lifestyles off the pitch following an interview with the magazine, Loaded, which depicted the duo as hedonists and scally characters, as well as stories about McManaman and Fowler's lack of decorum and disruptive influence in the dressing room[26]. McManaman responded by becoming the first footballer of his generation to write a weekly column (in The Times),[27] although this did not entirely halt the negative tabloid stories nor change his public image.

Labels aside, McManaman was also criticised for scoring too few goals, although he did make up for this with a formidable rate of assists for the likes of Robbie Fowler and later, Michael Owen, with Owen saying that "Liverpool at the time was built around McManaman" and was an average team whenever McManaman was not on form.[28] Fowler, meanwhile, regards McManaman till this day, as the best player he has ever played alongside.[29] The few goals that McManaman did score tended to be spectacular or memorable - most notably an injury time solo goal against Celtic in the UEFA Cup, when McManaman scored against the 'Bhoys' after a 75 yard dribble. Other outstanding goals during his Liverpool career included goals against Aston Villa, Newcastle United and scoring the winner in a match against Arsenal with a stunning volley, after which he won a PFA Player of the Month award in December 1997[30].

Contract sagas

Between August 1997 through January 1999, McManaman was also involved in two protracted contractual sagas, one involving his club Liverpool, and the other arising from his private corporate sponsorship dealing with Umbro. The former is especially notable, because it resulted in several negotiations and high profile dealings that fell apart in a lead up to his 1999 decision to exercise his Bosman right to move as a free agent and worker when his existing contract expired[31]. It was a deal that was labelled at the time as the most significant Bosman transfer since the very ruling itself, the most lucrative deal by a player under the ruling at the time, and where "McManaman became Britain’s first high-profile Bosman departure"[32], heralding a new era of financial gains in football.

The deal showcased the effect of the ruling and how it placed negotiation power in the hands of the players and their market values, as opposed to formerly, their employers/clubs, and McManaman's case was viewed as the first case of the like, followed in 2001 by Sol Campbell, though, it was not officially classified as one of the consequences of the negative effect of the ruling, with UEFA declaring in 2005, that they were seeking to repair other aspects of the ruling, such as its causation of a rich-poor gap between elite and smaller clubs[33].

Liverpool

Prior to the start of the 1996–97 as well as 1997–98 seasons, Liverpool received various bids for McManaman[34]. Having initially rebuffed all approaches for two years running, Liverpool's board of directors, at the time including David Moores, decided that continually rejecting those bids was risky given the possibility of McManaman allowing his contract to expire and leaving on a "Bosman" transfer for nothing, and so eventually accepted a lucrative offer of £12.5 million in August 1997 from FC Barcelona.[35] The board hoped that recouping what would have been the nation's second highest transfer fee (behind Alan Shearer's 1996 15 million move to Newcastle) would help in justifying the move to the fans, many of whom viewed McManaman as the linchpin and playmaker of the side at the time.[36]

By the end of that week, Liverpool's deal with Barcelona for McManaman fell through, with the player's excessive wage demands being blamed for the collapse by Barcelona, although, it was felt in some quarters that McManaman had simply been a pawn in Barcelona's negotiations to acquire Rivaldo- to pressure Rivaldo to sign quickly while at the same time toying with McManaman, in case they managed to obtain him for a lower wage[37]. The latter has been deemed to be unlikely, as in an interview, Barcelona's advisor Sir Bobby Robson was reported as saying that he dissuaded Barcelona's management at the time from signing McManaman ahead of Rivaldo, because he was a "cosmetic player"[38]. Barcelona then emerged saying that McManaman was not the player they were seeking in the end, as they did not just need a playmaker, but a proven goalscorer[39]. As the deal collapsed, the English press ran headlines about the deal with phrases such as "Greedy", in reference to McManaman, and some newspapers reported that McManaman had deliberately "priced himself out of a move" by demanding 2 million pounds a year and another 2 million for a signing on fee[40]. McManaman's sports agent Simon Fuller of 19 Management, was also reported as having sent Barcelona McManaman's contractual terms and personal terms- which he said were reasonable to the price Barcelona were paying[41], before flying out, only for Barcelona to renege on the deal after McManaman had arrived, fail to meet him at the Ritz Carlton, and have President Joan Gaspart cancel the deal, citing the "excessive" personal terms as the reason[42].

Amid the fiasco, Liverpool's board members found themselves at the centre of controversy, as it emerged that they allegedly agreed to sell McManaman behind his back, following an emergency meeting[37]. McManaman meanwhile, claimed innocence throughout; that he flew over for the talks only because he was shocked that Liverpool were willing to sell him in the first place, and that he had been the subject of Barcelona's trading tactics[43][44]

Liverpool then responded by saying they only were willing to sell McManaman because no agreement on a deal seemed to be reached, with the club releasing an official press statement that said: 'For several months Liverpool Football Club have attempted to renegotiate a new contract with Steve McManaman without reaching agreement to keep the player at Anfield beyond the length of his current contract. This week Liverpool received an eight-figure offer from Barcelona and felt obliged to inform the player and give him the opportunity, if he wished, of speaking to the Spanish club. At the same time Liverpool again stressed they wanted Steve to stay and sign a new contract with the club.'[45] McManaman replied, saying: 'Liverpool only made one offer and that was some time ago and they did not follow it up. As I had two years to go on my contract I saw no need to rush into anything. What upsets me most is that the Liverpool fans will have got the impression that I wanted to leave. That was never the case[46].'

Liverpool subsequently turned Juventus' 11 million pound bid in November 1997 down,[47] presumably to show their commitment to McManaman's claim that he desired to stay and sign. However, McManaman's situation began to look more precarious, and McManaman's reputation with the club and fans began to experience turbulence for the first time, as he repeatedly claimed to be willing to sign a new contract with the club, but negotiations never led to a new deal and his contract began to wind down[48]. McManaman's potential of picking up offers of contracts worth 13 million pounds from overseas clubs in relation to his market value, also saw McManaman demand that Liverpool match that price bracket[49], with the player rejecting Roy Evans' record breaking 10 miilion pound offer at the beginning of 1998[50], resulting in an ongoing failure to get an agreement. Furthermore, Liverpool's hopes of retaining the player were not helped by the position of the club at the time, with McManaman and the rest of the Liverpool team being labelled as 'nearly men' in three title races, having failed to unseat their bitter rivals, Manchester United, as England's top club side of the 1990s. That lingering failure meant inevitable changes at the club, and by July through November 1998, Liverpool appointed Rick Parry as the new Chief Executive and Gérard Houllier as the new manager, ushering in a new era for the club.

Despite having been named Liverpool captain at the start of the 1998–99 season,[1] McManaman seized the opportunity to announce his desire to play abroad. By this time, numerous European clubs were circling the soon-to-be free agent with Juventus or Real Madrid appearing the player's most likely destination.[51][52] It was announced in January 1999 that McManaman was talking to Real Madrid, he told The Independent: "It was such a tough decision because I have been [at Liverpool] 12 years, but I have always stated that I wanted to play in Europe at some stage. At 27, now is the right time. Real Madrid are the European and world champions and this is a chance to test myself in a top European league." [53]

McManaman also said that he had received advice from Paul Ince, Paul Gascoigne, and Chris Waddle, all of whom, he told an interview on ESPN in 2004, "spoke very highly of [playing abroad]."[53] In early January 1999, McManaman's new agent (Fuller's protege- Public Relations svengali - Julian Henry)[54], announced that he would be flying over to Spain at the end of the month, and by 30 January 1999, McManaman passed a medical and signed an official pre-contract with Real Madrid.[55] In what was a highly publicised affair covered by the world media, the BBC described it as a 'Spanish jackpot', stating that he would become "the best-paid British footballer of all time",[56] while other papers described it as "English football's worst kept secret."[57]

Umbro

McManaman's image of being a contract rebel with Liverpool at the time was also exacerbated when he was involved in an off the field year long courtroom saga from 1997 to 1998 with his football boot sponsor at the time, Umbro, who sued him that year for breach of contract for knowingly wearing Reebok brand boots in contravention of the deal, and deliberately "blacking out" their logo on his boots in protest[58]. McManaman argued that his contract was unenforceable and an unlawful restraint of trade[59] McManaman's argument was that he was being exploited: "I signed the Umbro contract when I was an inexperienced 18-year-old, before I had got into the first team. I'm prepared to go to court if needs be. Of course, I'm looking after myself. But I'm also in the position where I can make a stand and it might help other young players finding themselves in the same situation." Umbro then issued a writ restraining McManaman from appearing in other sports products while training or on official business, and said: "McManaman wants to ditch his deal with us. We believe Simon Fuller [his agent] has been telling him that his image is over-powered by Alan Shearer because Umbro use him more effectively and pay him more [250,000 pounds compared to McManaman's 6,000 pounds]. But McManaman gave us the sole right to use his name, picture and autograph on our footwear until the year 2000. Fuller's trying to go back on the deal and we stand to lose pounds 1 million."[60]

The court intitially ordered McManaman to fulfil his contract, plus an undertaking to pay Umbro's legal costs of launching contempt of court proceedings against him in 1997, which McManaman accepted and apologised for[61]. But a year on, McManaman continued to dishonour the deal[62] and then finally won an out-of-court settlement in October 1998, that enabled him to be free to negotiate with other companies for what he regarded as remuneration appropriate to his star status.[63] Though separate as an issue, the event added to the contract saga image McManaman had created at the time, with the media describing McManaman as the "star performer in his own soap"[64], though McManaman's Liverpool manager Roy Evans rushed to his defence. Evans said: "Macca is so laid-back you would never know he was hurting inside. But he has been. Some of the criticisms have been so unfair. Typical of Macca, he's responded magnificently."[65]

Departure

Following his announcement to leave Liverpool, McManaman still had five months left on his contract at Liverpool. New manager Houllier, who replaced Evans as full coach following the failure of their joint-managerial role, was widely believed to want to get rid of the "Spice Boys" mentality and cavalier attitudes at the club[66] having told many players they were surplus to requirements (including Jason McAteer, Phil Babb, Rob Jones, Stig Bjornebye and Paul Ince), and officially towed a line saying he wanted to keep McManaman, but said the club had to respect McManaman's decision to exercise his Bosman right to leave at the end of his contract. Houllier said: "It wasn't unexpected. Steve had always maintained that he wanted to move abroad and I have to respect that...Emotionally we will miss him because he's a Liverpool lad, and needless to say as a player you can't fault him because he has immense ability...I will have to replace him, it's my job to go out and find another Steve McManaman.".[67]

The decision left many Liverpool fans in shock and anger because they believed McManaman refused to comment earlier on his decision because he waited until he was sure Real Madrid would sign him, and toyed with the fans with his statements[68], while McManaman claimed he took so long to comment because he was "torn over deciding to leave the magnificent fans."[69] Liverpool fans however, remained split over McManaman's actions, claiming that since he said he always wanted to play overseas, it demonstrated that he had already made up his mind to leave at the end of his contract, and should have declared that truth, instead of fearing losing his "idol" status with them and constantly claiming to want to sign an extension; thereby misleading the club[70].

In McManaman's final games for the club in the second half of the 1998–99 season, he began turning in mixed performances. His form dipped at times, arguably due to a combination of injuries, being restricted to substitute appearances (as Houllier wanted to cut the side's dependency on his gameplay and replace him[71]), and loss of confidence in certain games where even the home fans turned against him over the contract debacle, with some labelling him a 'traitor' and a Judas figure.[72]McManaman told the media after one such game where he became victim of the "boo boys", saying: "That's understandable, when I came off the other day I knew the reaction there was going to be. But I think if they put themselves in the same predicament, and the fact that I have been at Liverpool for 12 years and that I would like to test myself in a foreign country, that's understandable." [73]

McManaman also suffered personal tragedy when his mother Irene, who was bedridden with breast cancer for two years, passed away during this time.[74]

The combination of these factors meant McManaman suffered a loss of form, but, McManaman managed to rally and pick up his play right at the end of that last campaign. McManaman scored a crucial goal away at Blackburn Rovers, set up a dramatic injury time equaliser with a through ball for Paul Ince to score in front of the Kop against Manchester United[75], and scored the winner from outside the area with a half volley to complete the full turn around result against Tottenham Hotspur, after trailing 2 – 0 at half time[76]. In fitting fashion, in what was the final match of the season, and what would be McManaman's final match and final contribution on the pitch for the club, McManaman assisted Karl-Heinz Riedle with a goal at the Kop with a trademark right wing run and pull back as Liverpool won 3–0 against Wimbledon, enabling McManaman to end his career at the club to a standing ovation, a lap of honour at Anfield[77], and a two row squad farewell at the entrace of the players' tunnel.[78]

Achievements

In spite of the side only winning two trophies during his time with Liverpool, McManaman's achievements at the club were exceptional for a player in a side often labelled negatively. McManaman finished runner up to Giggs in the PFA Young Player of the Year awards in 1992[79], was named in the PFA Team of the Year for four consecutive seasons from 1994–95 to 1997–98, and also made the five man shortlist for PFA Player of the Year for three seasons from 1995–96 to 1997–98, with the PFA website describing him as one of the most gifted players of his generation.[3] For a time he held the record for most consecutive Premier League appearances as an ever present at Liverpool for four seasons including a club record for most appearances, and at the time of leaving the Premiership had the second highest ratio of Premier League assists per game, with 112 assists in 274 appearances,[80] an average of one assist per two and a half games. As of 2010, McManaman still holds 12th position on the Premiership's All Time Assists charts. McManaman also holds the record for greatest number of assists in Liverpool history, just ahead of Steven Gerrard.[81] On 5 September 2006, Steve McManaman was named #22 in the official Liverpool website's "100 Players Who Shook The Kop" list,[82] in which Jamie Carragher described McManaman as "the best midfield player in the country for three or four years" running [83]. Despite Liverpool fans' disappointment over the nature of how McManaman conducted his departure, it is believed that many fans still regard McManaman (along with Fowler) as the two players who carried Liverpool through the 1990s.[84]

Real Madrid

1999/2000 success

On 1 July 1999, after 364 appearances and 66 goals for Liverpool, McManaman transferred to Real Madrid (then under coach Guus Hiddink and president Lorenzo Sanz).[85] There, he became only the second English player to ever play for the club, after Laurie Cunningham had played for them in the 1980s. He was also the most high profile English footballer to move to Spanish football since Gary Lineker had moved to FC Barcelona from Everton in 1986. Thereafter he proved an instant hit with the fans at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium after scoring three times and creating several goals in his first few games for Los Merengues.[86]

McManaman made his debut for Madrid on 22 August 1999 in the 2–1 La Liga win over RCD Mallorca at the Son Moix stadium, Mallorca, where he assisted Fernando Morientes in scoring the injury time winner. He scored his first goal for the club a week later on his home debut on the 29 August, in a 4–1 thumping of Numancia at the Bernabéu.

In December 1999 to January 2000, McManaman and the Madrid team took part in the inaugural FIFA Club World Championships in Rio De Janeiro, where McManaman missed an injury time chance to win the game, and then the penalty kick against Necaxa that would have sent Madrid into 3rd place[87]. McManaman and the team then returned to Spain and established themselves as the side that went all the way to the Champions League Final in 2000, under new coach Vicente del Bosque, who had replaced John Toshack in November. McManaman's form in the build up saw him receive several man of the match awards, forming a strong midfield partnership with Fernando Redondo[88], as Madrid beat holders Manchester United andBayern Munich to reach the final[89]. It was at this 2000 UEFA Champions League Final at the Stade de France in Paris that McManaman experienced his finest hour as a player – scoring a spectacular volley in a 3–0 victory over fellow Spanish side Valencia. His performance on this greatest of club football stages saw him hailed the man of the match by the English press,[90][91] a view endorsed by his Madrid team-mate Ivan Helguera.[92] His part in Madrid's eighth European Cup win saw him become the first English player ever to win Europe's premier club competition with a foreign club.

2000/2001 season

Despite that European Cup Final performance and having established himself as a valuable player in his first year in Madrid, the arrival of a new President in Florentino Pérez, closely followed by former Barcelona superstar midfielder Luís Figo in a club record transfer, saw the club forced to sell several key players to reduce debt having already been forced to sell Clarence Seedorf and Christian Panucci throughout the previous campaign[93]. Fernando Redondo, Nicolas Anelka, Christian Karembeu and McManaman were suddenly told they were surplus to requirements before the start of the 2000-01 season and were put up for sale[94]. When McManaman refused to leave unlike the others, manager Del Bosque told McManaman that he had “little chance of playing this year,”[95] and in case he didn't understand his position, the club also declined to give him a squad number for the forthcoming season.[96] With the club already in debt, and having just spent another £37m on Figo, the board were keen to cash in on McManaman and remove his $4.5m salary from the wage bill.[96] McManaman, however, with an iron-clad contract until 2004, declined to leave and instead stated his determination to win back his place in the team.[92]

Real Madrid subsequently accepted first an £11 million bid from Middlesbrough and then a £12 million bid for McManaman from Chelsea[97] that included the exchange of Tore André Flo, in the summer of 2000, both of which the player stubbornly rejected. His stance was rewarded when Real relented and he made his first appearance of the 2000–01 season as a substitute in a 3–3 draw against Málaga in September.[98] McManaman reportedly won over the manager by October, and managed to feature in two thirds of the club's matches, becoming a first team regular for the second half of the campaign, and held the unique distinction of being described as the only top class football player from England playing overseas at the time.[99] McManaman subsequently shone in this second season at Madrid as his club side challenged for the La Liga title and Champions League- where they lost in the semi-finals to Bayern Munich, but won their 28th La Liga crown by a seven point margin over the previous seasons champions, Deportivo La Coruña.[100]

Galaticos' policy

McManaman increasingly saw his playing time reduced each year, as the club continued their well known Galáctico policy, with worldclass names like Luís Figo, Zinedine Zidane, and Ronaldo arriving each year and standing above him in the pecking order. At the time though, McManaman was known for his dogged determination to stay positive for the club's cause, even if it meant he had less playing time. In 2002, McManaman also turned down a transfer to Internazionale at the time when he was made available for exchange as part of Ronaldo's signing.[101] It was widely reported in the Spanish media that McManaman's resilience to the team won the respect of his fellow professionals like Raúl, Zidane, Guti, Iván Helguera, and his two best friends and golf buddies at the club, Figo and Ronaldo,[102] who backed him publicly on several occasions in press interviews.[103] McManaman was also twice voted as the Real Madrid supporters' favourite player at the club during his tenure,[104][105] who adored him for his workrate,[106] and according to El País, in 2001, fans saluted him with their 'white handkerchiefs' (as a terrace favourite) after he acrobatically scored a 'wonder goal' against Real Oviedo that year.[107]

According to certain critics in the Spanish press, McManaman and several other players became "victims" as the policy was based more on marketing and revenue generation, and sometimes meant players were picked not according to form, but because of their money-making potential off the pitch. To his credit, McManaman never spoke ill of the Galáctico policy's effects on him during his tenure, only critiquing the policy and ultimately describing it in his autobiography in 2004 as the "Disneyfication of Real Madrid" upon his departure from the club; a piece of foresight that proved telling for the future as the club never reached its heights in the period ensuing with the policy, and with the term becoming somewhat pejorative to this day.

Second Champions' League

Eventually, the Board, including Florentino Pérez relented, declaring that a "man like that would always have a place in my club". That honour was also extended on the pitch as in the 2001/02 season, as part of Madrid's Centenary Celebrations, McManaman was made the first Englishman to captain Real Madrid in a game against a FIFA World XI, to the applause of the ultras, with whom he was a cult favourite.[108] Arguably his second greatest moment in the white of Madrid also took place that year, in the 2002 UEFA Champions League semi-final against Barcelona at the Camp Nou on 23 April 2002. In this match of monumental proportions, due to "El Classico" being a massive game in its own right, but also the fact that it was a Champions League Semi-final, McManaman appeared as a second half substitute to score a critical goal in second half injury time to secure a 2-0 first-leg advantage, cooly chipping over goalkeeper Roberto Bonano after being played in by Flavio Conceicao, after Zidane had scored the first goal on 55 minutes. This victory helped secure their place in the final of the 2002 Champions League at Hampden Park, Glasgow, where he came on as a replacement for Figo – and thereby ensuring his second Champions League winners' medal, after Madrid secured a 2-1 victory over German team Bayer Leverkusen.[109]

2002/03 Final season

McManaman was used as a late substitute for games at the start of the campaign and after scoring a goal and assisting in several of new signing Ronaldo's goals[110], he was given surprise starts. In one of his starts, he scored a brace against AEK Athens in the Champions' league. McManman also started in a famous game in 2003, where Madrid were beaten 4-3 at Old Trafford in the Champions' League, even as Ronaldo hit a hat-trick[111]. Nonetheless, after only playing 21 games of which he started only 9 times, and making a meagre 15 appearances in La Liga, questions constantly arose throughout the season about McManaman's ability and reasons for staying in Spain considering his diminished role, lack of first team action and international attention. Suggestions that McManaman had "sold out" for money and had grown indifferent and lackadaisical to his football were rampant in the British Press, though the media were also described as suffering from "a selective media amnesia over McManaman’s time in Spain."[112] Nonetheless, McManaman managed to pick up a second La Liga medal for the year, and was in the squad that won the Intercontinental Cup in Japan. These trophies, in addition to the others over his four years at the club, meant McManaman became the most successful English football export to ever play overseas. In addition to honours, according to Forbes Magazine in 2001, McManaman was listed as 6th on the list of highest earning footballers in the world,[113] and is believed to have pocketed an estimated 15 million Euros (just under £10,250,000) in his four years with Madrid.

Manchester City

The signing of fellow Englishman David Beckham proved the last straw in eventually forcing McManaman down the pecking order at Real Madrid. In 2003-04, along with teammates Claude Makélélé, Fernando Hierro and later Fernando Morientes, McManaman headed back to the English Premier League. Initially reported to be joining Arsenal[114] or Everton,[115] McManaman eventually decided to join long-time admirer Kevin Keegan on the 30 August at Manchester City, resulting in a reunion with several ex-colleagues including Robbie Fowler, Nicolas Anelka, and later, David James.[116]

He made his debut on 14 September 2003 in a 4–1 win over Aston Villa at the City of Manchester Stadium, and quickly showed good early form with the club starting with a run of wins[117] and progressing in the UEFA Cup,[118] with McManaman hailed by Keegan to great hype, but by Christmas that year, results had fallen, the side languished[119] and ended the season, well out of European contention, and McManaman injured again. By 2004/05, McManaman's time at City was ultimately deemed a disappointment[120] and he was jeered off the pitch in a draw with Norwich City by the City fans[121], who also nicknamed him "McMoneyman" pejoratively in reference to old quibs about his reasons for leaving Liverpool, staying in Spain and picking City[122]. On the pitch, a combination of niggling injuries, and the rise of an in-form and up-and-coming Shaun Wright-Phillips saw him lose his preferred right midfield position. When McManaman did play, he failed to rediscover his old form and speed, only occasionally demonstrating the ability he had shown in his earlier career[123]. Part of the problem stemmed from the fact that in order to find a role at Madrid he had changed his playing style, cutting down on the flair play (as Madrid had a surfeit of flair players) and instead focusing on being a holding player and making short, simple passes of the ball in central midfield, where he was known for his one touch passing and ability to never give the ball away.[100] He was often left to play a mere token leadership role to the new batch of young talent, a role which McManaman was arguably unable to excel in, and which resulted in criticism from fans for being "all talk and not enough action", although youngsters Wright-Phillips, Joey Barton, Stephen Ireland and Lee Croft did cite McManaman as a major motivating influence on them.[124]

Off the field at City, Fowler and McManaman were caught up in a sex scandal[125] that appeared in the News of the World following a failed attempt by the pair to gain an injunction to prevent publication.[126] The court case came fast on the heels of football's "roasting" and rape allegations at Chelsea earlier that year[127] and served only to exacerbate their situations and affected their reputations off and on the pitch at the club, while an incident involving Fowler and McManaman and three other players deliberately missing the team bus at Leicester also did not go down well with the fans, manager and media.[128]

In 2005, McManaman was linked to the New York/New Jersey Metrostars, who confirmed that they club were interested in him. However they eventually decided to relinquish their bid stating that "MLS clubs were keen to lose the reputation that top stars only arrive to play in America for a final swansong in their careers".[129] McManaman played for City for only two seasons and following Kevin Keegan's resignation in March 2005, never played another game for the club. Keegan's replacement, Stuart Pearce, released McManaman on a free transfer on 20 May.[130]

International career

McManaman made history by becoming the first player without first team experience to play for the England Under-21 team, being handed a debut call-up by Lawrie McMenemy against Wales at Tranmere in October 1990, two months before he debuted for the Liverpool first-team, famously quoting in the process that he had seen "more fat on a chip" in reference to McManaman's skinny physique.[3] In February 1993, McManaman captained the England Under-21 side for the first time against San Marino and scored the last goal in a convincing 6-0 win.

Terry Venables gave McManaman his full England debut on the 16 November 1994 in an international friendly with Nigeria at Wembley, McManaman coming on as a replacement for Newcastle United's Robert Lee. He would have to wait a further 5 years before scoring his first international goal, when he scored twice on the 4 September 1999 in the 6-0 Euro 2000 qualifier victory over Luxembourg, again, at Wembley.

For England, McManaman would forever remain an enigma at international level. England coaches, with the exception of Venables and Keegan, utilised McManaman's talents sparingly. McManaman struggled to repeat his fine club form with his country, drawing comparisons to his mentor at Liverpool, John Barnes. However, he managed to string together a series of splendid match winning performances for his country in Euro 96, earning praise from even Pelé, who according to the BBC, touted him as the tournament's best player and said he was the player he "was most impressed" by[131] going on to say that he could be the "best in the world",[132] a tag that McManaman later admitted that he could not live up to. Together with team mates David Seaman and Alan Shearer, McManaman was also listed in the official Team of the Tournament.

However, McManaman failed to win over new England coach Glenn Hoddle and McManaman made only one appearance at the 1998 FIFA World Cup against Colombia, and once more in Euro 2000 under Kevin Keegan, where he scored the last of his three England goals in a famous game against Portugal. The last of his caps came in 2001 when Sven-Göran Eriksson utilised him for his first games in the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, but then apparently left a message on McManaman's answering machine to inform him that he was not going to be in the final 2002 FIFA World Cup England squad,[133] despite the pleas of Madrid team mates Zidane[134] and Fernando Hierro for McManaman's case; with Zidane describing McManaman with a rare passion as one of the highest quality players he ever played with: "I was surprised when McManaman was left out of the last England squad. I couldn't believe they would ignore a player of his quality. Now people are talking about the fact that maybe he will get his chance because David Beckham is injured. But McManaman is far better than just being a replacement for Beckham. McManaman should be in the starting line-up anyway."[135]

McManaman was once described as "England's forgotten man"[136] but was also accused of being apathetic and having a laidback attitude (he and Fowler opted out of Le Tournoi under Hoddle in 1997) when it came to England's games, as well as having a reputation for being a troublemaker, which began after an infamous "dentists' chair" incident before Euro96, where along with Teddy Sheringham and Gascoigne, McManaman was photographed drinking and causing thousands of pounds worth of damage to a Cathay Pacific first class flight cabin.[137] McManaman's reputation was also not aided by the fact that he was also known for being a serial prankster with Fowler,[138] which did nothing to help new coaches' negative opinions about him[139], though colleague Gareth Southgate did say McManaman and Fowler's antics though "silly", helped foster team spirit[140].

By 2001, after coming on as a substitute when England beat Germany 5-1 in the Olympiastadion, it was ultimately McManaman's inept display against Albania that saw him banished from Eriksson's team,[141] as that was his final full game; making just one substitute appearance after that in the critical qualifier against Greece in 2001. Later that year, he did himself no favours by "choosing not to play" in the game against Sweden by calling the FA to have himself dropped from the squad.[142] McManaman was capped 37 times for England scoring three goals, and with the side only losing three times in the games that he played;[132] one of which was the penalty shootout defeat in 1996.

Retirement and current

McManaman retired from his playing career after being released by Manchester City in 2005.[143] He went on to become active as a freelance media commentator and pundit, providing analysis to ITV for the 2005 Champions League Final, and for Asia's largest football broadcasters, ESPN Star, in Singapore in 2006, where he worked alongside commentator John Dykes and ex-players such as fellow ex-Liverpool star Steve McMahon[144].

In early 2006, McManaman nearly came out of retirement to sign for the Hong Kong Rangers, a club owned by an admirer of his football, Carson Yeung, but the deal fell through due to McManaman's recurrent injuries that scuppered the fitness test and deal[145].

In October 2006, McManaman played in a charity match for Liverpool Legends against Celtic Legends. That year, he also went on to join production for the film,Goal! 2, the sequel to Goal!, a movie. By the time of the film's release in 2007, McManaman had also become an Associate Producer of the film, and appears in the film as one of the coaching staff.

In July 2007, McManaman was named executive director of Carson Yeung's Hong Kong-listed company Grandtop International Holdings Ltd, which subsequently took a 29.9% stake in Premier League side Birmingham City, to the ire of then owner and porn baron, David Sullivan, who later would get into a corporate scandal at the club that allowed Carson Yeung to get full control of Birmingham. McManaman also got involved with corporate dealings in Hong Kong with companies like Sure Trace Inc, which was setup by another porn baron and stock market and IT entrepreneur, James MacKay, who transferred 2/3 of the company to him.[146] The company made news for wrong reasons as Sure Trace had made a number of major contract announcements which had not become actual, revenue-generating contracts and was delisted by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The company then setup True Product ID as a company to conduct technology joint ventures in China and the company was transferred to McManaman. To protect investors, the SEC suspended Sure Trace Security in August 2005, citing the accuracy of public information regarding its technology sales.[147]

2007 also saw McManaman join Setanta Sports as a football analyst and, until the beginning of the 2008/09 season, he hosted a television show, "Macca's Monday Night", reflecting on life in the Barclays Premier League. On the show he was joined by Neil Warnock, the former Sheffield United manager, James Richardson, Emmanuel Petit, Tim Sherwood and Les Ferdinand. The show was finally axed in favour of "Football Matters", a live late Monday-night discussion show hosted by James Richardson and Rebecca Lowe. Renowned for his direct comments, in one of McManaman's broadcasts in February 2008, McManaman found himself criticised in the Liverpool press and by former Liverpool fans when his comments for Setanta after a Merseyside derby, on the ownership issue concerning debt involving Tom Hicks and George Gillett at Anfield went down poorly with the supporters[148].

In June 2008, McManaman participated in Steve Nash and Claudio Reyna's Showdown in Chinatown, an 8-on-8 charity soccer game at Sara D. Roosevelt Park. Nash scored two goals in his team's 8–5 victory, which included McManaman scoring one goal and making five of the goals in a team including Thierry Henry, Robbie Fowler, Jason Kidd, Baron Davis, and Suns teammates Raja Bell and Leandro Barbosa.[149]

In January 2009, McManaman gave a press interview where he revealed his intention to go into management. "I’m still thinking of getting back into the game and hopefully I will do my coaching badges at some point this year...It is going to be hard, though. There seems to be far less jobs available for the younger guys. Paul Ince, Roy Keane, Tony Adams – it seems as if people have got it in for them. It’s becoming a bit less attractive...If I do get back in, I don’t want to be a coach...I want to be a manager, but that’s easier said than done...I want to be able to pick the team, make the decisions and everything that goes with it. That said, I can’t do anything without my badges," he told the Liverpool Echo.[150]

In August 2009, Carson Yeung confirmed that once his proposed take-over of Birmingham City went through, a role at St. Andrews would be given to McManaman, although he did not specify what role that would be.[151]

In 2010, McManaman became an ambassador for UEFA alongside Christian Karembeu in its Champions League Trophy World Tour, as well as at the Madrid Festival leading up to the Champions League 2010 Final at the Bernabeu.[152] McManaman, has also been taking part in several "legends" squads for testimonial matches and fundraisers, most notably, at domestic level with the likes of ex-Liverpool players, but also for the EFPA- European Association of Former Players- along with a host of retired stars like Hristo Stoichkov, Enzo Scifo, Lothar Matthaus and Davor Suker.[153] McManaman has also joined commentator Martin Tyler, and former German coach Jurgen Klinsmann as well as Dutch International Ruud Gullit on the ESPN coverage team as a commentary analyst for the 2010 World Cup.

Personal life

Together with Robbie Fowler, McManaman has invested in several racehorses through a company named The Macca and Growler Partnership, their most prolific horse being Seebald, winner of 2003 Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Celebration Chase.[154] McManaman's grandfather was a bookie and his father described the family as having "horseracing in their blood."[155]

McManaman married his longtime girlfriend, Victoria Edwards, a Barrister/Law lecturer, on 6 June 2002, in Mallorca's Palma Cathedral. Victoria gave birth to their daughter Ella in 2006 and a new baby Lara in 2009. The family divide their time between homes in Bay of Palma and London and a new home in Cheshire.[156]

Honours

All-Time Club Performance
Country Club Season Domestic League Domestic Cup Europe Other Total
Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists
England Liverpool 1989–99 274 46 112 59 15 20 31 5 10 0 0 0 364 66 142
Spain Real Madrid 1999–03 94 8 20 15 1 2 43 5 11 5 0 0 157 14 33
England Manchester City 2003–05 35 0 6 5 0 0 4 0 1 0 0 0 44 0 7
Career Totals 403 54 138 80 16 22 78 10 22 5 0 0 579 80 182
Liverpool
Real Madrid
Individual

Further reading

References

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  2. ↑ Rory Ross (2004-09-10). "'I loved the life of a galactico's wife'". London: telegraph.co.uk. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3623692/I-loved-the-life-of-a-galacticos-wife.html. Retrieved 2009-08-24. 
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  95. ↑ Taylor, Daniel (2000-08-09). "Real tell McManaman he can earn £56,000 per week for doing nothing". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2000/aug/09/newsstory.sport1. Retrieved 2010-05-24. 
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  102. ↑ url="http://fourfourtwo.com/interviews/one-on-one/167/article.aspx"
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  109. ↑ Englishmen Abroad
  110. ↑ url="http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/ronaldo/
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  113. ↑ Forbes Football's Rich List 2001
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External links

1994–95 Premier League Team of the Year
GK: Peter Schmeichel  · DF: Graeme Le Saux  · DF: Colin Hendry  · DF: Gary Pallister  · DF: Lee Dixon  · MF: Tim Sherwood  · MF: Robert Lee  · MF: Andrei Kanchelskis  · MF: Ryan Giggs  · MF: Steve McManaman  · FW: Stan Collymore  · FW: Alan Shearer
1995–96 Premier League Team of the Year
GK: Peter Schmeichel  · DF: Gareth Southgate  · DF: Philippe Albert  · DF: Steve Bruce  · DF: Tony Adams  · MF: Ruud Gullit  · MF: Peter Beardsley  · MF: Ryan Giggs  · MF: Steve McManaman  · FW: Robbie Fowler  · FW: Alan Shearer
1996–97 Premier League Team of the Year
GK: David Seaman  · DF: Gary Neville  · DF: Tony Adams  · DF: Mark Wright  · DF: Stig Inge Bjørnebye  · MF: David Beckham  · MF: Roy Keane  · MF: David Batty  · MF: Steve McManaman  · FW: Alan Shearer  · FW: Ian Wright
1997–98 Premier League Team of the Year
GK: Neil Sullivan  · DF: Gary Neville  · DF: Colin Hendry  · DF: Gary Pallister  · DF: Graeme Le Saux  · MF: David Beckham  · MF: Nicky Butt  · MF: David Batty  · MF: Ryan Giggs  · MF: Steve McManaman  · FW: Michael Owen  · FW: Dennis Bergkamp
England squad – UEFA Euro 1996 semi-finalists
1 Seaman • 2 G. Neville • 3 Pearce • 4 Ince • 5 Adams (c) • 6 Southgate • 7 Platt • 8 Gascoigne • 9 Shearer • 10 Sheringham • 11 Anderton • 12 Howey • 13 Flowers • 14 Barmby • 15 Redknapp • 16 Campbell • 17 McManaman • 18 Ferdinand • 19 P. Neville • 20 Stone • 21 Fowler • 22 Walker • Coach: Venables
 England
England squad – 1998 FIFA World Cup
1 Seaman • 2 Campbell • 3 Le Saux • 4 Ince • 5 Adams • 6 Southgate • 7 Beckham • 8 Batty • 9 Shearer (c) • 10 Sheringham • 11 McManaman • 12 Neville • 13 Martyn • 14 Anderton • 15 Merson • 16 Scholes • 17 Lee • 18 Keown • 19 L. Ferdinand • 20 Owen • 21 R. Ferdinand • 22 Flowers • Coach: Hoddle
 England
England squad – UEFA Euro 2000
1 Seaman • 2 G. Neville • 3 P. Neville • 4 Campbell • 5 Adams • 6 Keown • 7 Beckham • 8 Scholes • 9 Shearer (c) • 10 Owen • 11 McManaman • 12 Southgate • 13 Martyn • 14 Ince • 15 Barry • 16 Gerrard • 17 Wise • 18 Barmby • 19 Heskey • 20 Phillips • 21 Fowler • 22 Wright • Coach: Keegan
 England