FULL CIRCLE
Alexander back chasing glory with Livvy as he calls on magic memories of UEFA Cup run
DESPITE a one-appearance season with Crystal Palace and an entire campaign warming substitutes’ benches all over Scotland with Aberdeen, time has managed to fly for Neil Alexander.
That feeling washed over him the other day thanks to some former Rangers colleagues on social media recalling a famous night in Florence ten years ago.
A decade has passed since Rangers reached the UEFA Cup final with Alexander’s semi-final heroics helping set up a Manchester showdown against Zenit St Petersburg.
‘Some of the guys have already been posting — I saw Nacho Novo doing that,’ noted the ex-Scotland keeper. ‘I don’t know where the time has gone, I feel an old man thinking about it.
‘They were the best times, the greatest of my career when I reflect on great memories. That night against Fiorentina was phenomenal, I always look back on that with a smile on my face.’
Alexander started the 2007/08 season with Ipswich Town in the Championship before Walter Smith paved the way for a dream switch to play back-up to Allan McGregor. Scarcely has a quiet, mid-season move been stacked with so many hidden surprises.
His most recent and, perhaps, final switch of clubs has not been short of pleasant shocks either. And at the age of 40, too.
Alexander was freed two years ago when Hearts decided they were ‘building for the future’. He was then passed over by Derek McInnes during a season helping the excellent Joe Lewis warm up to life in Scotland.
So he suspected that top-flight days were well behind him when there was a likely relegation battle to Ladbrokes League One to fret over upon linking up with promoted Livingston last summer.
‘Eighth place was going to be a realistic aim for the club, it was just about surviving in the division and kicking on the year after,’ recalled Alexander.
‘But as a player or a manager, you just wonder if you could do a bit better. We’ve a really good set of hard-working boys, so I wondered: “Could we over-achieve?”
‘I didn’t want to be in a relegation dogfight, leaking three or four goals a week. I wouldn’t have enjoyed that. I’d have thrown in the towel a long time ago.
‘And it was very clear to me early on when I saw the talent here that we might have a chance at doing more. But to achieve this in the first year back in the Championship is phenomenal.’
Livingston travel to Dundee United tomorrow night in the first leg of the Premiership Play-off semi-final after comfortably finishing runners-up to St Mirren.
Promotion is achievable all of 17 years after Alexander was part of the club’s First Division titlewinning team.
‘I constantly had David Hopkin and David Martindale on the phone last close season, pestering me, and I’m so glad that I caved in,’ said Alexander.
‘It was nice to feel wanted at my age. And it felt good going back to a club I’d been at and had success previously.
‘I was just a young boy in 2000/01. We had a great group back then — a really good mix of experience, youth and guys at the peak of their careers. That was three great years.
‘To go full circle and come back here and do well was a challenge.’
In a hotly-contested heat this season featuring Steve Clarke, Neil Lennon, Jack Ross and Brendan Rodgers, Hopkin didn’t make the cut for Manager of the Year nominations.
Livvy were never in drop danger but only sixth in the table immediately following a 3-0 pre-Christmas loss at Tannadice.
A manager should have to go some to impress Alexander in his 21st season in the professional game. Hopkin has done just that.
‘Two massive things were the signings in January of Ryan Hardie and Lee Miller,’ noted Alexander. ‘Defensively, we were solid and the midfield was excellent with pressing and energy.
‘But we were just missing a cutting edge in the final third and signing those two were the other dimension. I feel that made us the finished article for this challenge.
‘David is a great man-manager and motivator. The boys would run through brick walls for him. I think we’ve done so well because he’s good at adapting the team, formation and style.
‘He can vary it to deal with any opponent. I was very impressed with him from minute one. I thought: “I want to get on board with this”. He hasn’t disappointed.
‘Sometimes it’s been ugly, not great. But we’re very difficult to play against and effective. Ask any player we’ve played against — they’ll back that statement up.’
Returning to the comfort of Livingston in the career twilight was perhaps understandable given the upsetting exits from Rangers and Hearts respectively.
Alexander won a breach of contract claim relating to Charles Green’s tenure at the club.
Then, at Tynecastle, he believed he was going to extend his stay to a third year only for the offer to be pulled.
When asked if there were scores to be settled if he made it back to the Premiership, Alexander stressed: ‘I don’t feel like I need to prove anything to anyone.
‘My achievements speak for themselves. I had two great years at Hearts where we won the Championship by a mile then qualified for Europe in third place.
‘At Aberdeen, I had a good season — but no one saw it! Joe Lewis was fantastic, I just couldn’t get in the team. It was disappointing. And tough to sit on the bench at my age.
‘When you think about it, me not playing might give me an extra year because my body — apart from training — didn’t take any battering.
‘It was virtually a rest. I’ve only got one or two years left, who knows? I’ve had a great career, proud to have achieved a lot.
‘And now, to be named in the Team of the Year this season was a great privilege and honour.
‘For people to think I was the best goalkeeper in the league at 40 was very pleasing.’
‘THAT NIGHT AGAINST FIORENTINA WAS PHENOMENAL. I ALWAYS LOOK BACK ON THAT WITH A SMILE ON MY FACE’