Copyright mirror
Steve McManaman revealed that Liverpool 's handling of Roy Evans was the catalyst for his departure to Real Madrid . The former winger had joined the Reds aged 16 before spending nine years of his professional career at Anfield. Despite establishing himself as one of the Premier League 's finest wingers during his stint at the club, consistent silverware eluded McManaman throughout what proved a turbulent period for Liverpool in the 1990s. After four trophy-less years on Merseyside, it was the hierarchy's controversial decision to appoint Evans and Gerard Houllier as joint-managers that marked the beginning of the end for McManaman's time as a Red . The coaching arrangement lasted merely four months before Evans stepped down, leaving the Frenchman as sole manager - a position he occupied for six years until his exit in 2004. The unusual setup was destined to fail from day one, McManaman argued earlier this year. The TNT Sports pundit told The Athletic : "It was clear to me from the moment that it was announced that it wasn't going to work. My understanding was that we were looking for a first-team coach with new ideas to freshen things up. "Then Gerard came in as joint manager. Once that happens and the other joint manager doesn't know anything about it, the writing is on the wall." The suggestion that Evans was to blame whenever the team struggled infuriated McManaman, who branded the club's treatment of the former Liverpool manager as "awful." "When we won a game it was because of Gerard's new ideas and when we lost a game it was because of Evo," he explained. "I thought it was awful. I adored Evo. I didn't associate my club with dealing with people like that. "When they got rid of Evo, and the way they did it, I made up my mind then: 'Right, I'm leaving.' I told Gerard early on and he kept it quiet, all credit to him. I had a good relationship with him. He lined up Vladimir Smicer as my replacement." McManaman's 1999 switch to Madrid saw him become just the second British footballer to turn out for the Spanish powerhouse. He insisted his departure wasn't driven by financial gain, but rather the chance to prove himself on football's grandest stage as a Galactico. Speaking on the Big Interview podcast, he said: "It wasn't financial, because the money Liverpool offered me to stay was virtually on a par. I wanted to leave. At that time I had never played in the Champions League , which was a huge thing. I was playing really good football and I needed to test myself. I felt that I needed to go. "I wanted to go abroad, I didn't want to play for somebody against Liverpool. I was playing good football and I had the right kind of clubs interested in me - Barcelona , Madrid and Juventus . They were European Champions, World Champions, they were the best team in the world . That white kit, Di Stefano, Puskas, all that. And so it was Madrid." The path from Liverpool to Madrid, previously trodden by the likes of Michael Owen and Real boss Xabi Alonso, was most recently taken by Trent Alexander-Arnold . The defender is set to face his old club for the first time since his departure when the two teams meet at Anfield in the Champions League on Tuesday. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
