Gary McAllister is coming!

The Scottish midfielder became a cult hero at Anfield in the early 2000s and will be at The Liverpool Festival to hang out with fans and share great stories from a long life on the football pitch!

Gary McAllister i rødt!

A career marked by leadership and magical moments

The 2026 Liverpool Festival will be visited by a true Liverpool legend: Gary McAllister. The Scottish midfielder, who became a cult hero at Anfield in the early 2000s, has been confirmed as one of the legends you will meet during the festival from July 30 to August 1 in Gjøvik!

Festival passes and other tickets

Born on December 25, 1964 in Motherwell, Scotland, Gary McAllister had an impressive career spanning almost two decades, playing for clubs including Motherwell, Leicester City, Leeds United and Coventry City before being brought to Liverpool by Gérard Houllier in 2000, aged 35, in a signing that would prove to be a golden opportunity for the club.

I played against Liverpool my whole life and knew it was a big club – but it wasn't until I played for them that I realised how big it really is.

During his two seasons at Liverpool (2000–2002), McAllister made 87 appearances, scoring 9 goals and providing 11 assists. He was a key player in the famous "Treble" season of 2000–01, in which Liverpool won the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup. He also won the UEFA Super Cup that same year.

One of his most iconic moments came in the Merseyside derby against Everton in April 2001, when he scored a spectacular free kick from 44 metres in injury time – a goal that is still remembered and sung about by Liverpool supporters.

Coaching career

McAllister has also had a significant coaching career. After Liverpool, he was brought to Coventry City as player-manager before later moving to Elland Road in January 2008 to replace Dennis Wise as manager. McAllister guided Leeds to the play-offs for the Premier League, but failed to do so. He was also assistant under Gérard Houllier at Aston Villa (the man who brought him to Liverpool) and later also had coaching roles at both Middlesbrough and Liverpool, under Brendan Rodgers. In 2018, he returned to Scotland with Rangers to work alongside Steven Gerrard. After this, he also managed a trip to Aston Villa again, as assistant manager.

Where can you stay?

It's a distinguished and knowledgeable Scotsman who will be heading to the Liverpool Festival in 2026, and we're really looking forward to getting to know the guy better!