Gary’s such a big influence around the squad I even took him with us to France 98 when he was crocked
Brown hails Mac’s return to Scotland
GARY McALLISTER was so highly valued by Craig Brown the Scotland boss appointed him as an unofficial World Cup coach when injury ruled him out of France 98.
So Brown reckons Steven Gerrard couldn’t have chosen better when he opted for his fellow Liverpool legend as his assistant manager at Ibrox.
After this turbulent time when Rangers have craved leadership, Brown sees the arrival of two of the most respected midfielders in British football over the last 20 years as a major coup.
Not just for Rangers but for the profile of Scottish football as a whole.
Justifiable questions hanging over Gerrard’s managerial inexperience are, in Brown’s view, significantly offset by the presence of a character he has watched bounce back stronger from adversity time and again.
Like the night he stepped up to the penalty spot in Belarus to fire Scotland on their way to that World Cup in 98 – and at the same time exorcise the demons of the spot-kick he missed against England at Euro 96.
To Brown, McAllister has always been the resilient, positive and inspirational presence who played a key role in his national set-up – all qualities that Rangers need more than ever after the conflict and upheaval they have endured recently.
Brown said: “I don’t think Gerrard could have chosen better than Gary. As a person he is ideally suited to be a coach because his knowledge of the game is excellent and he is a first class character.
“He was so influential to Scotland that when he was injured before the World Cup in France I made a special request for the SFA to authorise that he still came with us.
“I felt his influence would be extremely helpful almost to the point of essential, so I insisted he still be involved with the group. That’s how highly I regard him. He was essentially an extra coach for me. He was a good liaison between the staff and players, plus a very good calming influence.
“Even though he had a cruciate injury and couldn’t play, he still managed an important role.
“I’ve been at three World Cups with Scotland and every time they went with the best player injured. In Mexico 1986, when I was Alex Ferguson’s assistant, it was Kenny Dalglish we had to do without.
“Then as Andy Roxburgh’s assistant in Italy in 1990 we were missing Davie Cooper and John Robertson.
“So in ’98 I was determined we wouldn’t be completely without the influence of our best player.
“Needless to say he didn’t
hesitate in accepting the offer. Despite his disappointment at missing out through injury, everything he did and said was positive.
“I’ve never found him anything other than very positive and that’s what he will be when he comes to Rangers.”
Aside from positivity, the 53-year-old will also bring experience, some of it painful, of the sharp end of management.
Spells at Coventry, Leeds and latterly Aston Villa – where he stepped into the breach after Gerard Houllier retired after suffering a heart attack – all brought major challenges.
But most of all McAllister will bring further gravitas added to that of Gerrard’s decorated playing career.
And crucially, a sense of the club’s identity as a born and raised Rangers fan who always dreamed of one day playing for his boyhood heroes.
Brown added: “I think it’s fair for me to say Gary would have loved to play for Rangers, so this will be a proud moment for him.
“I’m delighted he’s coming back to Scotland because I remember him as a young boy fresh out of school in Newarthill when he joined Motherwell, back in the 70s when I was assistant manager at Fir Park.
“He hasn’t half done well since then.
“This is a guy who won three trophies in one season with Liverpool (League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup) which is quite exceptional. You’re talking about a superstar here.
“With their background of achievements, Gerrard and Gary
Gary would have loved to play for Gers so this will be a proud moment for him CRAIG BROWN
are in an immediate position of power and respect that they can only lose by being dishonest or incompetent – and they are neither of that. “It’s natural there are concerns about Gerrard’s lack of managerial experience but that is eased by having Gary’s influence and experience behind him. “He’s been through tough times – on a personal and professional level – and come through them all with dignity and class. “It frustrates me that people still remember he missed that penalty against England at Euro 96 but forget he was man enough to step up and take the next penalty Scotland were awarded. “That was in Belarus in a World Cup qualifier and we won the game 1-0 thanks to him.
“That in effect qualified us for the World Cup, so without him having the bottle to step up and stick home that penalty we might not have made it to France.
“Then there was the night in 1999 when he was booed by the Tartan Army at Celtic Park during a frustrating game against the Czech Republic and I took him off in fairness to both Gary and the team.
“The reason it happened was he was so desperate to make something happen, every time he got the ball he wanted to make a telling pass.
“There are players who would just kick it forward but he was so determined to make it count he took riskier options and inevitably one or two were cut out, sparking resentment from the fans.
“But he was alright afterwards, taking it all in his customary positive manner that I’ve no doubt Rangers will benefit from now.”