When Gary McAllister pulled on a Liverpool shirt for the first time at age 35, even the club's brightest young star had doubts. "I was a bit like, 'Oh, hang on a minute, what's going on here?'" recalls Steven Gerrard, now a Liverpool icon himself. But that skepticism didn't last long.

McAllister only made 87 appearances for the Reds, but his impact was immeasurable. The Scottish midfielder became one of the shrewdest signings in club history, helping Liverpool secure a memorable Treble in 2001. Now, his storied career for club and country is the focus of BBC Scotland's Icons of Football series.

When McAllister first arrived at Anfield, eyebrows were raised—especially by a young Gerrard, who saw the veteran as a threat to his own place in the squad. But from their very first conversation, everything changed. "He had time for me," Gerrard says. "Went out of his way to help me."

Over the next two seasons, McAllister became an extension of manager Gerard Houllier's coaching staff on the pitch. He guided a raw, talented group—including Jamie Carragher, Michael Owen, and Danny Murphy—to multiple trophies. "We were a gang of toe-rags, shall we say," Gerrard admits with a laugh. "He brought calmness to the dressing room, big-game knowledge, a lot of wisdom."

For Gerrard, McAllister's influence went beyond tactics. "Gary was vital for me," he says. "He certainly helped me both on and off the pitch become a better professional, a better person. It was like having a coach sitting next to you in the dressing room all the time."

Perhaps most impressive was McAllister's fitness, honed during his time at Leeds under the guidance of Gordon Strachan. Even as the oldest player in the squad, he set the standard. "He was the fittest, probably the oldest, but still the fittest," Gerrard recalls. "All the way through pre-season he was at the front of the group."

McAllister's career at the top level endured, and his legacy at Anfield remains strong—proof that age is just a number when you have the right mindset. For any young player looking to level up their game, his story is a masterclass in professionalism and leadership.