Steve McManaman

Summary

McManaman is sometimes described as an enigma at international level for England. Excluding Terry Venables and Kevin Keegan, every England manager decided to utilise McManaman's talents sparingly. McManaman was capped 37 times for England and scored three goals. England lost only three times in the games that he played; these included the UEFA Euro 1996 penalty shootout defeat to Germany at Wembley in 1996, and the opening day defeat against Portugal at UEFA Euro 2000. Over his 11 years as an England international, McManaman played in tournaments such as UEFA Euro 1996 and the 1998 FIFA World Cup. UEFA Euro 2000, held in the Netherlands and Belgium, was McManaman's last major tournament for England, despite pressure from the press, fans and teammates, including Zinedine Zidane, to include him in the final squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

1990–1993: England U21

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. McMenemy commented that he had seen "more fat on a chip" referring to McManaman's skinny physique. In February 1993, McManaman captained the under-21 team for the first time against San Marino and scored the last goal in a 6–0 win.

1994–1997: Senior breakthrough and UEFA Euro 1996

Terry Venables gave McManaman his…

Liverpool

1990–1993: 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 By the following season, Dalglish had been replaced by Graeme Souness as manager.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. McManaman scored his first ever professional goal with a diving header four days later on 21 August 1991, in a 2–1 away defeat to Manchester City. The 19-year-old McManaman quickly became a regular first team player in the 1991–92 season, making 51 appearances in total in only his first full season. It was suggested that opportunities in the first team had come as a result of then manager Graeme Souness' decision to sell several ageing players. Moreover, McManaman also found opportunities in the first team as John Barnes had suffered a career threatening achilles tendon injury. McManaman was deployed as a left-sided or right-sided forward, backing the club's new signing Dean Saunders. This was a move…

Post-retirement football career

Managerial and directorial intentions

In January 2009, McManaman gave a press interview where he stated 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. In October 2013, it was announced by then Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers that McManaman would be taking up a coaching role with Liverpool at the academy to help nurture the club's future talents. McManaman would continue this role at the academy under Jürgen Klopp. McManaman was heavily involved with the cultivation of the talent Trent Alexander-Arnold, among others. In 2024, McManaman graduated with his Diploma from the PFA Business School, having successfully undertaken the PFA Diploma in Sport Directorship programme.

Media career

McManaman first got a taste for media work in 2005 after he became active as a freelance media commentator and pundit, providing…

Steven McManaman was born on 11 February 1972 in Bootle, Lancashire. 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 two-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.