Profile of Steve McMahon on Famous Like Me

Steve McMahon (born August 20, 1961 in Liverpool) was one of the toughest midfield football players of his generation who galvanised the outstanding Liverpool team of the late 1980s.

Born and raised locally, McMahon was snapped up as a boy by Liverpool's fierce rivals Everton and played for them as a teenager. He quickly established a reputation as a no-nonsense midfield player with a good deal of skill to complement his bravery and attitude.

McMahon moved to Aston Villa in 1983 (rejecting a move to Liverpool in order to stay in the good books of Evertonians) and then finally joined Liverpool two years later - the first signing to be made by new manager Kenny Dalglish. He played a crucial role in Liverpool's "double" winning side of 1986, although his joy at winning a League championship medal was tempered slightly by his omission from the side for the FA Cup final against rivals and former club Everton. 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 didn't get on to the pitch.

The following year, McMahon this time started at Wembley when Liverpool contested the League Cup final against Arsenal. He set up the opening goal for Ian Rush but ultimately lost the match 2-1. He had earlier scored four goals in Liverpool's record 10-0 victory over Fulham in the same competition.

Dalglish reshaped the side the following season, incorporating new signings John Barnes, Peter Beardsley, John Aldridge and Ray 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 football authorities and criticism from opposing players and managers, there was no doubt that his skills as a footballer were of the highest order.

McMahon scored frequently for a man in his position as Liverpool played some of the best club football ever seen and coasted to the 1988 League title. Memorable strikes included a 30 yard shot against Manchester 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 two Scousers (along with Aldridge) obliged to perform a localised rap on the official FA Cup final song, written in a trend-encapsulating rap and house music style by team-mate Craig Johnston.

The song got to No.3 in the UK charts, but Liverpool surprisingly lost the final at Wembley to Wimbledon. McMahon was afforded the ultimate respect by fellow hardman (though not anywhere near equal as a good footballer) Vinny Jones, who said that if he could stop Steve McMahon, then Wimbledon could stop Liverpool. Jones indeed clattered McMahon in the opening minute of the game but McMahon said afterwards that his own individually sub-standard performance had nothing to do with the tackle.

Later in 1988, McMahon won his first of 17 caps for England. There had been widespread clamouring in the Press for manager Bobby Robson to select him, and indeed ITV commentator Brian Moore rapped a verse to that effect on the Cup 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 emulate Melle Mel's rap which eulogised Chaka Khan on her 1984 hit I Feel For You.

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 the Hillsborough disaster during the FA Cup semi final and was certainly on his game with some of his tackling at the re-scheduled semi final against Nottingham Forest a month later. Forest manager Brian Clough was publicly critical of McMahon afterwards.

Liverpool won the Cup - McMahon set up the opening goal for Aldridge in the final against Everton - but lost the League title in a decider at Anfield against Arsenal. Television viewers saw McMahon telling his team-mates they were one minute from victory and another "double" and shouting "come on!" to himself as the game's last seconds ticked away, only for Arsenal midfield player Michael Thomas to score Arsenal's late, late winner and steal the championship.

McMahon again played frequently as Liverpool won back the title in 1990 but lost out on another "double" when they were beaten 4-3 by Crystal Palace in a thrilling FA Cup semi final, in which McMahon scored.

He was then selected by Robson for the England squad which would play in that summer's World Cup in Italy. McMahon came on as a substitute in the opening group game against the Republic of Ireland but was responsible for gifting the Irish side their equaliser in the 1-1 draw - he miscontrolled a ball midway inside his own half of the pitch and Kevin Sheedy, a former Everton team-mate of McMahon's stole the ball and crashed a shot past Peter Shilton. McMahon started the later group game against Egypt which England won, and then started the second round match against Belgium. He didn't do a lot wrong in this game, but fatigue and a tactical change saw him replaced by David Platt, who went on to score a spectacular winner and keep hold of his place right through until the semi-final defeat against West Germany, scoring twice more during the tournament. McMahon did not feature again.

McMahon left Liverpool for Manchester City in 1991 after 276 games, during which he scored 50 goals. He then became player-manager of Swindon Town three years later, but his time there didn't work out and he moved on to become a successful boss (eventually) for Blackpool. After relegation to football's bottom rung, McMahon led them back to immediate promotion via the play-offs and also won two LDV Vans Trophies. He left Blackpool following an argument over funds midway through the 2004 season. He spent his time away from management doing a spot of punditry for the BBC.

He was signed in early 2005 as the manager of Perth Glory FC in Australia.

His son, Stephen junior, is a defender who played for Blackpool and was loaned out to Kidderminster Harriers in 2004. He also has been recruited by Perth Glory for the 2005/6 season.

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