Alexis Mac Allister is the good boy of football, whereas Jurgen Klopp is the quintessential manager/father figure. So, it’s natural that they will form a strong bond as the mingling of the two is like fire and ice, albeit opposite but attracting each other.
The World Cup winner recently revealed that his Liverpool teammate teases him by calling him Klopp’s son. We hope that he won’t mind it like he did when his Argentinian teammates called him Ginger. It’s also quite apparent that the German coach fancies strong and disciplined characters.
Mac Allister told La Nacion, “The relationship is obviously 10 points, I just arrived and when you just arrive everything is easier and everything goes perfect.”
“But many of my teammates tease me because they say that he is my dad now. The relationship with him is perfect, he is a very charismatic person, who always tries to be close to the players.
“He has crazy moments that you might see in a game, and you can’t stop laughing. For me it is a pleasure to be able to work with him.”
“Well, now they caught me, because the last game we returned from the national team I was the only South American who played. Then they told me that he”s my dad, that he can’t take me out, that I had played all the games… and that’s how they drove me crazy.
“But beyond the joke, the relationship is spectacular, he is a person that I respect, that I respect very much, and I hope that he continues like this and that I can continue learning from him on the field.”
Players like Adam Lallana, Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, and Sadio Mane were also adored by Klopp due to their personality and integrity but also because of their performance on the pitch.
Similarly, in the case of Mac Allister, it’s not just his humble personality, calmness and Irish roots but his instant impact on the pitch that may be the reason why Klopp loves him so much.
Since arriving in the summer from Brighton for an initial fee of 35 million pounds with 20 million add-ons, the 24-year-old has started for Liverpool in all of the first 5 Premier League games, majorly as a deep-lying playmaker.
The Argentine primarily played as a central midfielder, for Brighton and Argentina, however, he adapted to his new role so well that Argentinian coach, Lionel Scaloni, played him as a deep-lying playmaker during their World Cup qualifiers against Bolivia.
According to Premier League official data, Mac Allister has made 247 passes while playing for Liverpool with 49 passes per match. He also made 4 through balls and 9 accurate long balls, showcasing his fantastic ball playing abilities.
He may be calm off the pitch but, on the pitch, he doesn’t shy away from being “offensive defensively”. With 13 successful tackles at a 62% tackle success rate, 27 recoveries, 29 duels won, 5 successful 50/50s, and 3 aerial battles won. No wonder he is shining as a deep lying midfielder.
