Even the legendary Steven Gerrard needed a mentor.
Gerrard, a member of the Premier League's Hall of Fame, is widely regarded as one of Liverpool's greatest-ever midfielders.
Gerrard played a whopping 710 games for Liverpool, scoring 186 goals and providing 156 assists
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Gerrard played a whopping 710 games for Liverpool, scoring 186 goals and providing 156 assistsCredit: Getty
However, he may never have reached his meteoric heights without the wisdom of Gary McAllister.
McAllister joined Liverpool in July 2000 at age 35 having left Coventry City.
Although he was not as athletic as he used to be, McAllister still had his footballing wits about him and was sure to pass on his wide range of knowledge to the younger generation at Anfield, one of whom was Gerrard.
Aged 20 when McAllister arrived, Gerrard was already making waves as one of the club's hottest talents.
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How McAllister helped Gerrard early in his career
However, there were elements of Gerrard's game and mentality that needed refining and McAllister was more than ready to lend a hand, even though it wasn't the sole reason he was signed.
"I don't think I was brought in there to help him pass a ball or how to see a pass," McAllister said on talkSPORT's Sunday Edition.
"It was basically how to navigate Monday through Friday. If there's no midweek game, what does that look like? What should it look like? How much intensity do you put into training? When do you sleep? What are you eating? Are you resting properly, even though the game might be five, six days away?"
McAllister added he had been in Gerrard's shoes as the mentee during his stint at Leeds United, when he shared a dressing room with Scottish icon Gordon Strachan.
"I thought I was a good player when I got to Leeds, played a lot of games at Leicester and went in there with my shoulders back," McAllister said.
"Then I looked at Strachan and I thought, 'You're on another level to me,' and he was 35. I'm jumping across to Liverpool at 35.
Steven Gerrard runs in a Liverpool match
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Gerrard shared the pitch with McAllister on 51 occasionsCredit: Getty Images - Getty
Gary McAllister on talkSPORT
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The 61-year-old helped guide a young Gerrard early in his careerCredit: talkSPORT
"You can still put your emphasis on what should be done during the week to prepare and help you play as well as you can on Saturday.
"It does matter what you do in the week. A lot of people think it doesn't, but it does. It's all muscle memory. If you work hard, you'll get the rewards at the end of the week by playing well."
Aside from helping Gerrard with his midweek mentality, McAllister also saw an opportunity to help the midfielder refine his tackling methods.
McAllister tells Gerrard how to tweak his tackling style
"He wanted to be winning every ball," McAllister said.
"The words I said to him, 'You might be hurting an opponent,' but the biggest danger when you go reckless into tackles or see the ball and all you can see is winning that ball, then you process you might hurt yourself.
"If your body is out of sync and you're stretching to make the tackle, you're not in a strong, low position. I think he thought, 'Ok, that makes sense.'
LONDON, ENGLAND - May 10: Steven Gerrard of Liverpool tangles with Cesc Fabregas of Chelsea during the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on May 10, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Mark Leech/Getty Images)
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Gerrard was never shy of a duel on the pitch throughout his glittering career
"He's a warrior, he wants to win at all costs, he wants to win every ball. Occasionally it's not a bad thing to go in and steal it, use your brain a little bit."
Although McAllister ended his relationship with Gerrard as a teammate in 2002, the pair reunited when the latter embarked on his managerial career at Scottish giants Rangers.
Together, the pair helped Rangers go unbeaten to win the 2020/21 Scottish Premiership and prevent Celtic from winning ten league titles in a row.
McAllister then followed Gerrard to Aston Villa when he was appointed in November 2021.
However, Gerrard's tenure at Villa Park was far less successful than his stint in Glasgow as he was sacked less than a year later, with McAllister leaving a day later.
After a brief period away from the dugout, Gerrard returned to management with Saudi Arabian club Al Ettifaq but it ended without any silverware and he departed the club in January 2025.
Gary McAllister has been part of Steven Gerrard's coaching staff on two occasions
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McAllister continued to be a mentor for Gerrard in the dugoutCredit: AFP
The Liverpool hero remains out of work, although he came close to returning to Rangers following Russell Martin's sacking earlier in the 2025/26 season.
Could McAllister reunite with Gerrard once more?
Although McAllister didn't join Gerrard on his Saudi adventure, the Scot confirmed he would jump at the chance to reunite with his former teammate should the call come.
"100 per cent, if Steven's involved at a club and he needs help, I'd go and help," McAllister said.
He added the pair's taste for silverware as a key reason for why they seem to click in a coaching capacity.
"People have said their winners but they've never won," McAllister said.
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"To get something, to pick up a trophy and have that rapport with a fan group, it's something that's in your blood.
"If you know how to win, it's half the battle. If you've done it, you know how much it takes to really push it through."