Former Liverpool midfielder and LFC TV analyst Jason McAteer talks about India and all things Liverpool. The former Republic of Ireland international racked up 139 appearances for the Reds, scoring six goals, during a four-year spell.
During his time at Anfield, McAteer was team-mates with David James, Robbie Fowler, Jamie Redknapp and Steve McManaman and the group were collectively named – ‘The Spice Boys’.
McAteer has played for four other English clubs before hanging his boots in 2007. In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, the 44-year-old talks about Liverpool’s Europa League chances, Daniel Sturridge and his injuries and the Reds keeping hold of Philippe Coutinho, among many others.
Hey Jason, how’s your experience been in India? Is this what you had imagined?
I’ve been doing a lot of travelling since I finished playing actually. Australia, Asia, all around Europe. When I was given the opportunity to come to India, it was something I wanted to do. I have never been here before. I didn’t quite know what to expect. I’ve had friends who have come here and the words they use are crazy, vibrant, lively, and alive!
Today we went across to Shankarvadi school, which is supported by Standard Chartered. That was really an eye opener. The kids were really happy even though they didn’t have a lot of playing and training equipment. They just get on with things. It really brings you back down to earth. You should think how lucky you are. It puts things into perspective.
Your thoughts on Liverpool’s first leg victory over United?
Yeah I was impressed with Liverpool. I think consistency in team selection is something that’s happened over the last probably 3 or 4 weeks. The manager went with his strongest team. He changes just 1 or 2 positions. That’s breeding confidence and the players are able to understand each other better.
It’s exciting to see Firminho, Strurridge and Coutinho on the pitch. It says a lot about a team’s character when we lost to Manchester city in the cup final but we beat the same time 3 days later. We’re definitely in the driving seat as far as the United tie is concerned. We need to win the Europa League. We’re taking it very seriously and it is definitely a priority now.
On injures and Daniel Sturridge
It’s a bit disappointing for the fans and Daniel himself. Every footballer hates being injured. The worst place to be is in the treatment room. Trying to recover, you spend a lot of time away from the first team. It’s a lonely place being injured. He’s got himself fit at the right time.
There are questions about Daniel’s mentality but only he can answer those questions. We can all assume he is mentally fragile but really we don’t know. The manager has dipped him in and out. His response has been fantastic when he’s playing. When Daniel’s fit he is one of the best strikers in Europe. No doubt about that. Liverpool need him until the end of the season.
Is the top 4 a realistic objective this season? With 10 games remaining
It’s an outside opportunity isn’t it? Like you said with 10 games remaining and considering the inconsistency of all the teams this season, there is no reason why we shouldn’t believe we can get the top 4 spot. We’ll be going for it. It’s there for us to keep trying. We just have to keep Daniel Sturridge fit and see what happens.
Room for improvement as far as Liverpool is concerned?
I think there’s room for improvement everywhere. You should never stop trying to better what you got. Liverpool haven’t won the league in what 25, 26 years? It’s something the fans and the club want and we keep falling short every season. We now have a manager who is extremely ambitious. He kept his money in his pockets over the winter window.
Personally I’d like to see competition for the goal keeping position. Left back too. I think we can look at the midfield and striker positions as well. But I am not the manager. I know Klopp has a fantastic platform. The club is in a healthy position at the moment.
Do you see Jordan Henderson leading the team for a long time to come?
Jordan’s quality has been growing since he was given the captain’s arm band. I think it’s always difficult when you’re in the shadows of greatness to really express yourself on the football pitch. I always felt Jordan was in Steven’s shadow. When Gerrard’s presence is around sometimes you feel you shouldn’t say things and act in a certain way.
Since Steven’s gone, he’s grown into the leadership role. I am a big fan of Henderson. He is good for the football club. There is a lot of work that he does off the ball he doesn’t get credit for. He’d be a good leader going forward.
Do you think Liverpool can hold onto Philippe Coutinho?
Coutinho’s progression over the last few seasons has been terrific. He’s matured. If Real Madrid or Barcelona are knocking on the door, it’s proven that he’s doing something right. But he knows the ambition of this football club. He has a manager who handles his players very well. If Klopp sits down with him and tells him about Liverpool’s plans for the next 18 months,
I don’t know why any player would want to leave Liverpool at the moment. The Suarez situation was completely different. He was a lot older. Playing alongside Messi and Neymar, you can understand why he wanted to leave. It wouldn’t be right for Coutinho to leave at his moment. The club is moving with him. He is a big part of the plan. I am sure he will be looked after.
That’s why I was disappointed with Sterling. He had 2 more seasons to mature. But obviously his agent had different ideas. Sterling’s agent gave him the wrong advice, if you ask me personally. I think Coutinho will stay at the club for another 2 seasons.
