Mcgarvey hopes Calvin shows more patience than he did at Liverpool
Aberdeen starlet Calvin Ramsay’s £4.5-million move to Liverpool brought the memories flooding back for former Scotland striker, Frank Mcgarvey.
He was the hottest prospect in the country when he left St Mirren to join the Reds for £270,000 in May, 1979.
Then 23, he ended that month by winning his first two caps – against Northern Ireland and Argentina – but that was two more appearances than he’d make during his time at Anfield.
Mcgarvey believes that Ramsay made the right decision in joining Jurgen Klopp’s squad, but warned him he could face a long wait before he makes the breakthrough.
The 66- year- old admits that he couldn’t cope with the long wait for a first-team chance
After scoring 16 goals for the Buddies, Mcgarvey was wanted by clubs north and south of the border, but plumped for Liverpool, a decision swayed by the prospect of playing alongside Kenny Dalglish.
“When I joined Liverpool, they’d just won the league and had been European Cup winners in the two previous seasons,” he recalled.
“I went down there, and played in a reserve team that could have given any of the sides in the top division a game.
“In goal, we had Steve Ogrizovic, who went on to win the FA Cup with Coventry City, and become their record appearance holder.
“He had Avi Cohen in front of him, who went on to sign for Rangers, and our midfield was Sammy Lee, Ronniewhelan and Kevin Sheedy, who’d all go on to win league titles, European trophies and become full internationalists.
“Up front, it was myself and supersub, David Fairclough, and I was the leading scorer.
“The manager, Bob Paisley, said I’d been brought in to become Kenny’s partner for the senior side, and I was looking forward to benefiting from all the assists that came from his brilliance.
“Unfortunately for me – and it shows how smart the club was – David Johnson, who’d been struggling until I
signed, suddenly had a new lease of life, and he ended up as their leading scorer.
“Liverpool wanted everyone to be on edge, just to keep them on their toes.”
Mcgarvey, though, soon became tired of banging in the goals for the second string without being promoted.
He continued: “I asked the gaffer why he’d bought me, and he said there were three reasons – I could score with either foot, I’d scored against both Celtic and Rangers, and I was never injured. “He told me I’d get my chance.
“Then Johnson finally got injured, and I was named in the squad for a home game against Ipswich Town.
“As the reserves’ top scorer, I thought I’d start but I ended up on the bench – back when you only had one substitute – and didn’t get on. Fairclough started, and scored our goal in a 1-1 draw.
“The following Monday, I went to see Bob to ask for a transfer.
“Gra e m e Souness and Te r r y Mcdermott both tried to talk me out of it, pointing out that they’d had to wait for ages before they got a proper run. But I’d had enough.”
Celtic beat Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen to bring Mcgarvey home for a club
record £ 270,000 and, in five years at Parkhead, he won two titles, two Scottish Cups and a League Cup.
“Patience is like pace. You either have it or you don’t – and I didn’t,” Mcgarvey confessed.
“I hope young Calvin has it, though, because – at 18 – he has the world at his feet and time on his side. But, like me, he’s probably going to have to spend longer than he’d like on the sidelines.
“I’ve no regrets about leaving Liverpool, though. I got to play in front of the greatest fans in the world at Celtic Park.
“I scored the winner against Rangers with two minutes to go in my first Old Firm game – something I’d dreamed about doing.
“And my last touch for them was heading the winner against Dundee United in the 1985 Scottish Cup Final.”