 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Stephen Joseph McMahon[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1961-08-20)20 August 1961 (age 64)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Halewood, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Midfielder[1] | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1979–1983 | Everton | 100 | (11) |
| 1983–1985 | Aston Villa | 75 | (7) |
| 1985–1991 | Liverpool | 204 | (29) |
| 1991–1994 | Manchester City | 87 | (1) |
| 1994–1998 | Swindon Town | 42 | (0) |
| Total | 508 | (48) | |
| International career | |||
| 1981–1983 | England U21 | 6 | (0) |
| 1984–1987 | England B | 2 | (0) |
| 1988–1990 | England | 17 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1994–1998 | Swindon Town | ||
| 2000–2004 | Blackpool | ||
| 2005 | Perth Glory | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Stephen Joseph McMahon (born 20 August 1961) is an English football manager, former professionalfootballer and current television pundit.
As a player, he was amidfielder from 1979 to 1998, most notably playing forLiverpool in the late 1980s. McMahon was placed in 42nd position in the '100 Players Who Shook The Kop' poll, which asked Red supporters to name the best 100 Liverpool players of all time.[3] He also played forEverton,Aston Villa andManchester City, playing in thePremier League for the latter. He was capped 17 times byEngland.
After his playing career ended, he began his coaching and managing career withSwindon Town, and later managedBlackpool, winning promotion with both of these clubs. He later had a brief spell as manager ofPerth Glory in Australia.
Halewood-born McMahon started his career atEverton, playing for them as a teenager after appearing atGoodison Park as aball boy. He made his league debut on 16 August 1980 in the 3–1 defeat toSunderland atRoker Park, and he went on to be voted the supporters player of the year by the end of the 1980/81 season. His commanding presence in the Toffees midfield earned him the captaincy of the club. After 4 seasons, including 100 league appearances and 11 league goals McMahon moved to Aston Villa.
He joinedAston Villa on 20 May 1983 for £175,000, he made his league debut on 27 August 1983 in the 4–3 derby win overWest Bromwich Albion atVilla Park. McMahon settled quickly and established himself in the heart of the Villans midfield. However Villa finished 10th in his first season, while his previous club, Everton, finished 3 places above them in 7th spot. The following season, 1984/85, ended up worse than the previous one as Villa finished in 10th spot again, only this time Everton won the title.
McMahon agreed to join Liverpool on 12 September 1985 for £350,000 thus becoming the first signing to be made by new managerKenny Dalglish, and filling the void left byGraeme Souness over a year earlier. He made his debut 2 days later on the 14th in the 2–2 league draw withOxford United at theManor Ground. He didn't have to wait long for his first goal either, it came a week later on 21 September against his former club, Everton. McMahon's 42nd-minute strike turned out to be the winner as the Reds triumphed 3-2.[4]
He played a crucial role in Liverpool's "double" winning side of that season. However, his joy at winning aLeague championship medal was tempered slightly by his omission from the side for theFA Cup final which again was ironically against rivals and former club Everton, the first allMerseyside FA Cup final. However, he was more fortunate than the other players left out by Dalglish, as McMahon was given the substitute's role and ended up with a winners' medal when Liverpool won 3–1, though he did not get on to the pitch.[5]
The following year, McMahon this time started atWembley when Liverpool contested theLeague Cup final againstArsenal. He set up the opening goal forIan Rush but they ultimately lost the match 2–1. He had earlier scored four goals in Liverpool's record 10–0 victory overFulham in the same competition. McMahon had also missed a penalty in the same game, which would have made him the only Liverpool player to score five goals in a competitive game that season but scored another hat-trick in the following round against Leicester. In total, he scored nine goals in the League Cup that season, as well as five in the league, totaling 14 in all competitions, although Liverpool endured their second trophyless season in more than a decade.[6]
Dalglish reshaped the side the following season, incorporating new signingsJohn Barnes,Peter Beardsley,John Aldridge andRay Houghton but McMahon remained in the side. By now his reputation as one of the best hardmen in the game was established. Though his tackling was often subjected to scrutiny by the footballauthorities and criticism from opposing players and managers, there was no doubt that his skills as a footballer were of the highest order.[citation needed]
McMahon frequently scored for a man in his position as Liverpool won the 1988 League title. Memorable strikes included a 30-yard shot againstManchester United and the opener in a crucial Merseyside derby against Everton, although Liverpool only won the latter of those two games. When Liverpool reached the FA Cup final again, McMahon was one of the team's twoScousers (along with Aldridge) obliged to perform a localisedrap on the official FA Cup final songAnfield Rap, written in a trend-encapsulating rap andhouse music style by teammateCraig Johnston. The song got to No. 3 in the UK charts, but Liverpoollost the final at Wembley toWimbledon.
McMahon was afforded the ultimate respect byVinnie Jones, who said that if he could stop McMahon, then Wimbledon could stop Liverpool. Jones and McMahon locked horns early on, and Jones fouled McMahon aggressively early on in the game with a two footed tackle. In Jones's autobiography he recounted that he wanted to "take out their top man" and McMahon actually managed to smash Jones in the eye with his elbow on the way down from the tackle, which led to a cut and scar on his face that remained on his face for a while.[7] McMahon clashed withJohn Fashanu andDennis Wise frequently throughout the match, although Liverpool lost on the day. McMahon was voted second place in the PFA Player Of the Year Awards, the winner being his colleagueJohn Barnes.
In 1989 McMahon was again a regular fixture as Liverpool again chased a "double" of League and FA Cup. As one of the local lads in the team, he was deeply affected by theHillsborough disaster during the FA Cup semi-final on 15 April.Brian Clough was publicly critical of McMahon afterwards. Liverpool won the Cup by 3 goals to 2 – McMahon set up the opening goal for Aldridge after just 4 minutes of the final – but theylost the League title in a decider atAnfield againstArsenal.
McMahon again played frequently as Liverpool won back the title in 1990 but lost out on another "double" when they were beaten 4–3 byCrystal Palace in a thrilling FA Cup semi-final, in which McMahon scored.
Graeme Souness had by now taken over as Liverpool manager in 1991 and he immediately had some disagreements with some senior players including McMahon. In Souness's book,The Management Years he recounted that several players who were over 30, including McMahon, were looking for bigger contracts at the end of their careers and were prepared to move elsewhere if their terms weren't met. There was also some resentment as new signings like Mark Wright were on bigger salaries, and the senior players wondered why players who had yet to win any trophies at Anfield could be earning more. Souness decided to sell McMahon, Houghton, Beardsley, andSteve Staunton, thus removing some of Liverpool's best players under Dalglish and breaking up the last great Liverpool team to win a title. After playing 15 games of the 1991/1992 season, McMahon left Liverpool to joinManchester City for £900,000 onChristmas Eve 1991 after playing 276 games, during which time he scored 50 goals. Souness later admitted that he had sold some key players too soon, when he should have kept them longer until suitable replacements were found. In the end, Souness broughtMichael Thomas andPaul Stewart to compete in central midfield, neither of whom were to ever reach the same level as McMahon, as Thomas was beset by injuries and never able to fully replicate the important role vacated by McMahon. Stewart too was blighted with injuries, and only enjoyed anything like regular action in his first season atAnfield, making his final appearance some two years before finally departing in 1996.[8]
McMahon made his City debut two days later onBoxing Day in a 2–1 win overNorwich City atMaine Road. During his time for City, McMahon was initially seen as someone who would help raise their game due to his aggression and quality, but unfortunately the quality of the team around him was not the same as at Anfield.Niall Quinn recalled in his autobiography that McMahon reminded him ofRoy Keane in his intensity and will to win: "Because he expected to win trophies, he could make the players at City feel bad about themselves, because we didn't have the same expectations... He was too intense for us... The lucky-go-happy atmosphere in our squad just didn't appeal to him".[9]
In 1993, McMahon was featured inVinnie Jones'sSoccer's Hard Men video, in which Jones talks about his adoration and respect for other "hard men" from the past and present including Souness,Bryan Robson,Mike Bailey,Norman Hunter,Jack Charlton,Peter Storey,Ron Harris andNobby Stiles. Jones described McMahon as his "only real rival" in modern-day football for the accolade of "hardest man in football". He described how McMahon got his revenge on Vinnie Jones for Jones' early foul on McMahon in the 1988 FA Cup Final,[10] by kicking Jones to the floor with his studs at Anfield, forcing him to have stitches on a major cut.[11] McMahon played in 87 league matches for the Sky Blues before an offer to become player-manager ofSwindon Town tempted him away fromManchester.
McMahon first represented England at senior level on 17 February 1988 in a goalless friendly draw againstIsrael. There had been widespread clamouring in thepress for managerBobby Robson to select him, and indeedITV commentatorBrian Moore rapped a verse to that effect on theCup final song ("Well Steve McMahon sure can rap, it's about time he had an England cap; so come on Bobby Robson, he's your man; 'cause if anyone can, Macca can!") with the last expression repeated in a scratch mix manner to emulateMelle Mel's rap which praisedChaka Khan on her 1984 hit,I Feel For You.
He was in England's squad for that summer'sEuropean Championships inWest Germany, and played in the final group game, which England lost 3–1 to theSoviet Union, failing to progress to the semi-finals.
McMahon played on England's1990 World Cup squad.[12] In the second half of the first group game againstIreland, with England leading 1–0, McMahon failed to control the ball on the edge of the English 18 yard box. Immediately, Republic of Ireland playerKevin Sheedy pounced and drove a left foot shot beyondPeter Shilton in the English goal. McMahon had just come on to the pitch as a substitute forPeter Beardsley. The game ended up as a 1–1 draw. He made further appearances by starting in England's final group match with Egypt and their second round tie with Belgium though did not play in either England's quarter final or semi final matches where both times he was an unused substitute.[13]
He made his 17th and final England appearance on 14 November 1990 in a 1-1Euro 92 qualifying match draw againstIreland. He never scored for England at senior level.[14]
When he arrived atSwindon Town in November 1994, they had recently been relegated from thePremier League and were battling against a second successive relegation. McMahon joined them as they were preparing for aLeague Cup match withDerby County. Caretaker manager Andy Rowland picked the team, and the Town progressed to the next round. McMahon took full control for the next game – a league match at Southend – and he picked himself in the starting line-up. The Town lost 2–0, and McMahon was sent off. His first victory came with a 2–1 scoreline against top-of-the-tableMiddlesbrough.[15]
As transfer deadline day approached, rumours were rife that leading goalscorer,Jan Åge Fjørtoft, would be leaving the club – most sources quoting a fee of between £3m and £4m. When the day finally came, Fjørtoft was sold for £1.3m – McMahon saying that no other offers were on the table. After Fjørtoft left, the goals dried up. The Town failed to score in six of the next eight matches, and were relegated to Division Two. McMahon was quoted as saying the relegation left him "feeling lower than a snake's belly".[citation needed]
The Town bounced back the following season, winning the Second Division championship. McMahon won three manager of the month awards, and the manager of the year. The two top scorers that season were McMahon signings:Wayne Allison, arriving fromBristol City, andSteve Finney, fromManchester City, and the only real problems the Town had were breaking down the opposition's stubborn defence, with most sides playing for a draw.
The next two seasons followed similar patterns – a decent start, followed by a poor run-in. In 1996–97, Town held a mid-table position right up until the middle of March, but then scored just two goals in their last ten games – getting defeated 7–0 atBolton Wanderers, 5–1 atOldham Athletic and 4–0 atIpswich Town in the process – ending up in 19th place.
In August 1996, following the departure ofAlan Ball as Manchester City manager, McMahon was linked with a return toMaine Road as manager, but speculation that he would take the City job was swiftly ended when he signed a new five-year contract as Swindon manager.[16]
The following season's demise was far more dramatic. A win atPortsmouth on 31 October 1997 took the Town to the top of the table, a position they held until the middle of November. They remained in a play-off position up until the middle of December, and then won just three of the remaining 24 matches, scoring just twelve goals. Again the Town slumped to heavy defeats – 6–0 at Manchester City, 6–0 at Middlesbrough and 5–0 atNorwich City.
When the 1998–99 season kicked off, Town had no wins and just three goals (two of which were own goals) in the first five games, the calls for McMahon's head began to be heard. Chairman Rikki Hunt and McMahon seemed united – McMahon saying he wouldn't resign, Hunt saying he wouldn't sack him. Two consecutive derby wins, against Bristol City andOxford United, only strengthened their position. This was followed by a 5–2 defeat at Portsmouth – and whenWatford then won 4–1 at the County Ground, the fans held an on-pitch protest, sitting in the centre circle at the end of the match, demonstrating that both McMahon and Hunt should resign. McMahon resigned on 22 September 1998.[17]
His next stop came atBlackpool, with whom he signed an 18-month contract on 7 January 2000. He stated that the job was a "great opportunity"[18] and that his main task was to "keep us afloat this year and get us in a position where we can be safe".[18] It was not to be, however: in May they were relegated toDivision Three, but McMahon took them to promotion via the play-offs the following season and also won twoFootball League Trophies in three years. He signed a new contract with the club on 8 February 2001 that would see him remain in charge until at least the end of the 2002–03 season.[18][19]
He left Blackpool following an argument over funds just before the final game of the 2003–04 season, having resigned midway through the season, only to burst in on 15 January press conference announcing his decision to withdraw the resignation following a talk with chairmanKarl Oyston. At the time of his departure, McMahon was the fifth-longest-serving Blackpool manager in terms of Football League games in charge.
He was signed in early 2005 as the manager ofPerth Glory FC for the inaugural AustralianA-League Men season. However his tenure at the club was short and he left the club in December 2005, part way through the season.
In early February 2006 through 2007, McMahon signed an initial eighteen-month contract to work as a television pundit for Asia-basedESPN Star Sports, and subsequently extended his contract by three years. There, he worked alongside the likes ofJohn Dykes as commentators, written his ownblog,[20] and is based inSingapore. He has also been responsible for recruiting other former English football stars such asLes Ferdinand and fellow ex-Liverpool players,Ian Rush andSteve McManaman.[21][22]
In 2012–13, McMahon was featured inFirst XI, a reality television show that features amateur players and him being the head coach to guide them to professional footballing. They faced tough competitions and also went to Thailand and Spain to play friendly matches with BC Tero and Real Madrid Second Team. At the end of the season, they faced the All Stars team featuring former Singapore football players,Des Walker, as well as former Liverpool legendsRobbie Fowler andSteve Harkness. They lost 0–1 in 2012 and lost again 0–3 in 2013.[23][24]
McMahon joinedProfitable Group on their board of Directors as Group Commercial Director in March 2008, leading the Group's Strategic Sports Investment Division.[25] It was revealed in theNews of the World that the group had tried to purchase his former club,Everton, but were knocked back.[26] In late July 2009. McMahon has explained that Profitable Group had ended its interest in buying the club due to a lack of "communication and response" from Bill Kenwright.[27]
McMahon's brother,John, is a former footballer and now coach.
McMahon is married to Julie and has two sons, Stephen and Paul.[28][29]
In December 2019, he was diagnosed withprostate cancer at the age of 58. He had the tumour removed in January 2020 at Liverpool'sRoyal Hospital.[29]
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Swindon Town | 1 December 1994 | 23 September 1998 | 204 | 75 | 49 | 80 | 036.76 |
| Blackpool | 7 January 2000 | 6 June 2004 | 93 | 31 | 24 | 38 | 033.33 |
| Perth Glory FC | 25 January 2005 | 7 December 2005 | 16 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 037.50 |
| Total | 313 | 112 | 77 | 124 | 035.78 | ||
Liverpool
Individual
Swindon Town
Blackpool
England squads | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||
