Jason McAteer

[Guest Cameron]

Jason McAteer doesn't have many regrets, but leaving Liverpool was one of them.

 

The former Anfield and Republic of Ireland star, is still plying his trade on Merseyside with Tranmere but told FA Cup Special that life after Liverpool is just not the same.

 

McAteer went on to enjoy successful spells at Blackburn and Sunderland, but readily admitted that as a Koppite, the magic disappeared on January 27 1999 - the day his four year-stint as a Liverpool player came to an end.

 

"If there's one thing in my career I wish I'd not done, it's leave Liverpool as hastily as I did," he said.

 

"When I left football became a job. I went to Blackburn and all of a sudden it just became a job. It was just unbelievable at Liverpool. Every day I'd have gone in and done it for nothing.

 

"But when I left I was hit with the realisation that I had to go into training every day and it was just work."

 

To add to McAteer's sadness he never won anything with the club he supported as a boy and still supports.

 

The closest he came was the 1996 FA Cup final when everything went wrong and Manchester United sealed the double thanks to Eric Cantona's last-gasp winner.

 

And for a man who had scored three goals en route to Wembley and made his name as an FA Cup giant-killer with Bolton, it was a fitting end to a day that clearly wasn't meant to suit Liverpool.

 

"The game itself was a non-event," he said. "You settle for getting to an FA Cup final and it is great, but when you get there you obviously want to win and that went and happened.

 

"Man United were our biggest rivals that year - they went on and did the double, when really it should have been us."

 

And it really should have been dark suits as well.

 

The final will always be best - or worst - remembered for the cream suits the so-called Spice Boys wore for the traditional pre-match walk around Wembley's hallowed turf.

 

McAteer still cringes at the pictures but was also quick to point the finger at David James as the man to blame for the ridicule they received on top of a Cup Final defeat.

 

"It was great to get there, but Jamie Redknapp was the only one that made the suits look good!" he said.

 

"If we'd have won, we'd have looked a million dollars! We'd all been measured up for dark suits - Hugo Boss I think - and they looked alright.

 

"Then Jamo (David James) was doing his Armani stuff and he got a phone call from Georgio, who said I'll do the suits for you.

 

"I think they were knocked up in a week - it was actually Georgie from the Dock Road, not Georgio Armani. In the end we went out there looking like ice cream men!"

I liked McAteer, wasn't the most gifted player we ever had but he always gave it his best, playing in an unfamiliar position. Nice to know he still follows the Reds, although I guess that was never in doubt.

[Paul_LFC]

He could put a great ball in, could McAteer. He was a decent player, but he hardly got played towards the end of his stay as he was out of favour so he probably had no option other than to leave.

[cymrococh]

"When I left football became a job. I went to Blackburn and all of a sudden it just became a job. It was just unbelievable at Liverpool. Every day I'd have gone in and done it for nothing.

He says that, but wasn't he one of the ones taking the piss out of uncle roy with his antics?

[Kite]

He says that, but wasn't he one of the ones taking the piss out of uncle roy with his antics?

his taking the piss out of roy keane and his book was one of my favorite (non Liverpool) moments in football ...

[Cam]

He says that, but wasn't he one of the ones taking the piss out of uncle roy with his antics?

Exactly. It looks like a great quote about how none of mattered after he left, he had his dream and lost it. But it's probably more bemoaning the fact the he couldn't p*ss around, get paid very handsomely and have worldwide adulation.

 

Chris Rock has a joke about fathers boasting of how they look after their kids - "You're supposed to look after your kids, dumb-ass mo'fo'!!!".

 

Sorry Jason but you're supposed to work hard in training. You see that bit about not winning anything? And you know the thing about p*ssing about a lot? Put two and two together. Or, after the pizza thing, at least get someone to do it for you.

[Guest Cameron]

He says that, but wasn't he one of the ones taking the piss out of uncle roy with his antics?

What did he do? (besides his dodgy shampoo ads, that is)

[Crazy Horse]

>To add to McAteer's sadness he never won anything with the club he supported as a boy and still supports.

 

I thought he played in a league cup winning team in, oh, '94? Guess not?

[hagi_complex]

A good lad and a decent player. Not good enough in the end, though.

He had one really superb season as a right wing back when we underachieved. Onwards and upwards.

[downunder]

>To add to McAteer's sadness he never won anything with the club he supported as a boy and still supports.

 

I thought he played in a league cup winning team in, oh, '94? Guess not?

 

He played for Bolton in 94 and we signed him that summer IIRC.

[£440,000]

>To add to McAteer's sadness he never won anything with the club he supported as a boy and still supports.

 

I thought he played in a league cup winning team in, oh, '94? Guess not?

 

Yeah, he was playing for Bolton that day but during the post-match celebrations he got the cup and held it up in front of the fans. Always liked him for that.