Steven McManaman (born 11 February 1972) is an English former professional footballer who played as a winger. Nicknamed “Macca”, he is one of the most decorated English footballers to have played for a club abroad and is regarded as one of the best players of his generation, with the UEFA website stating in 2012 that "of all England's footballing exports in the modern era, none was as successful as McManaman".
During his nine years at Liverpool, he won the FA Cup and League Cup, while individually, he was the Premier League's top assist provider for the 1995–96 season and was named in the PFA Team of the Year for the 1996–97 season. He is ranked fifth on the Premier League all-time assists charts for number of games it took for a player to make 100 assists and is also the fifth-youngest player to make 100 assists in Premier League history, with only Thierry Henry, Cesc Fàbregas, Ryan Giggs and David Beckham above him on the list. McManaman moved to Real Madrid in 1999, with the transfer becoming one of the most high-profile Bosman rulings of all time. Amongst his accomplishments with Madrid, he won La Liga and the UEFA Champions League twice, becoming the first English player to win the latter trophy with a non-English club, and later became the first English player to win it for the second time. An early Galáctico, he won eight trophies and played in 11 cup finals in four years and made the semi-finals of the Champions League in each of his four years at the club. He went on to play two seasons at Manchester City before retiring in 2005.
Since his retirement, McManaman currently works as a co-commentator on ESPN and TNT Sport's football coverage, as well acting as a La Liga ambassador. He previously worked as a football pundit for Setanta Sports.
Early life
McManaman was born in Bootle, Liverpool. He grew up as an Everton supporter, with his boyhood heroes in football being the Everton players Bob Latchford and Duncan McKenzie. However, when Everton offered the player a one-year contract, after McManaman had made a name for himself at tournaments for school and around Merseyside, McManaman's father rejected it in favour of a schoolboy contract and two-year apprenticeship offer from Liverpool (through scout Jim Aspinall and then manager Kenny Dalglish). McManaman signed as a 16-year-old apprentice upon leaving school in 1988. As an apprentice, McManaman was under the mentorship of John Barnes and many regarded McManaman as a player who could potentially replace Barnes in the future. McManaman was said to be a natural athlete; having been a cross country champion at school level.
Club career
Liverpool
1990–93: Early years
McManaman developed through the youth scheme at Liverpool and signed as a full professional on 19 February 1990 in what was to be Kenny Dalglish's final full season as manager. On 15 December 1990, McManaman made his Liverpool debut under Dalglish as a substitute for Peter Beardsley in the Football League First Division in a 2–0 league win over Sheffield United at Anfield. By the following season, Dalglish had been replaced by Graeme Souness as manager. On 17 August 1991, he made his full debut in a 2–1 win over Oldham Athletic. This was a game in which The Guardian reported that McManaman "ran his legs into the ground" all day and assisted his mentor John Barnes in scoring the late winner by flicking on Mark Walters' cross. On 21 August 1991, he scored his first ever professional goal with a diving header four days later in a 2–1 defeat to Manchester City at Maine Road.
