New Liverpool signing Alexis Mac Allister has revealed that he turned down the chance to wear the iconic No.8 jersey out of respect for Steven Gerrard.
Gerrard enjoyed ten years wearing the number 8 at Anfield and, following his departure in 2015, the shirt actually went vacant until Naby Keita joined the club in 2018.
Naby Keita failed to live up to expectations when he inherited Gerrard’s shirt following his £53 million arrival from RB Leipzig in 2018 and his contract was not renewed.
With Keita leaving on a free transfer this summer, Mac Allister was offered the chance to take the No. 8 shirt, the same number he wore in Argentina with Boca Juniors, but the new signing turned it down in favour of keeping the 10 from his Brighton days.
The 10 was famously worn by both Philippe Coutinho and Sadio Mane at Anfield and was left vacant by the latter’s move to Bayern Munich last summer.
Mac Allister who revealed that he turned down wearing the Number 8 jersey out of respect for Liverpool legend, Steven Gerrard during an interview with the Mirror, said;
“One day, I was talking to my dad when he asked me what number I would wear for Liverpool. I knew there were several numbers available – including 10 and 8. The No 8 shirt is a very important number in that club because of Gerrard, so I hesitated a bit. I ended up choosing the 10, but 8 is a number that I like a lot and has a history at the club.”
Mac Allister also opened up on behind-the-scenes talks with Jurgen Klopp that persuaded him to tie his long-term future to the club over rivals such as Manchester United and Chelsea.
He added;
“After the season ended, I had the chance to talk to Klopp and he told me about the club, the city, and what he wanted. The main thing was that from the first moment, they communicated with my family and with me, they wanted me to be there.
“When I was able to speak with the coach, it was made even clearer. It’s the small details that made me choose Liverpool. I feel that it is the right step in my career.
“We all know that Klopp likes to play a lot on the counterattack, but in recent years there has been a change in his way of playing. He explained to me that he needed players to play between the lines and with a winning mentality.
“I’ve always had that mentality – but even more so after the World Cup. I want to win titles – that’s the goal that the club and I have.
“Liverpool is one of the biggest clubs in Europe and the world. Its history makes it like this.
“The fans demonstrate in each match in the way they show up. But as well as history, there is a team with great players and a great coach. From the first moment, they showed me a lot of desire for me to be there.”