It is not often Jason McAteer of all people provides me with a thought provoking theme. However I saw him on the television last week and he was asked to pick a team comprising the best players he played alongside. Being an Irish stalwart in Ireland's glory years the team was littered with Irish greats such as Roy Keane, Paul McGrath and Damien Duff.
However it was the selection of a former England player that caught my eye. It got me thinking. Was Steve McManaman one of the most underrated and unappreciated players in England of modern times?
The electric winger made his debut for Liverpool in 1990 and went on to make 364 appearances for the Merseyside club. In addition to this he also won 37 caps for England and shone at Euro 96.
Those are no mean feats yet he was often maligned for his prankster image along with the natural goalscorer that was Robbie Fowler. In one sense he almost epitomised the Liverpool team of the 1990's. At times utterly superb and exciting yet often failing to deliver when it was needed most. His time at Liverpool yielded one FA Cup and one League Cup.
Soon enough Gerard Houllier arrived and broke up that Liverpool team of the 90's. Injuries greatly hindered the careers of McManaman's fellow comrades like Fowler and Jamie Redknapp. McManaman was not finished however.
He managed to sign with perhaps the biggest club in the world in the guise of Real Madrid in 1999. Much like his time at Liverpool McManaman continued to shine. By the end of his first season with the club he had secured a maiden Champions League success playing a starring role in the clubs three nil victory with McManaman scoring a goal in the process.
In spite of Luis Figo's arrival McManaman still managed to win a further two league titles with Madrid. In addition to this he also contributed to Madrid's Champions League success against Bayer Leverkusen in 2002. McManaman's second European success with the Spanish outfit.
Interestingly though this period of McManaman's career would coincide with the end of his England career. He may not have been Beckhamesque with his crossing but he was every bit the devastating dribbler that Ryan Giggs was. He was a hugely graceful and silky runner.
Injury curtailed his Euro 2000 where he scored in England's opening group game against Portugal. The arrival of Sven Goran-Eriksson saw McManaman largely ignored by the Swede. Indeed McManaman did not even make the 2002 World Cup squad. Out of sight out of mind it seemed.
Yet the attitude of home-grown players plying their trade abroad should be embraced not frowned upon. Look no further than one of the greatest teams of all time, Spain. Admittedly much of their success has come from a Barcelona and Real Madrid axis.
However there is a number of players on that team which thrived and developed in the Premiership. Cesc Fabregas, Fernando Torres, Xabi Alonso and Juan Mata have all benefited from playing abroad. Furthermore a guy like Santi Cazorla is enhancing his reputation with his already excellent start with Arsenal.
One of England's most successful football exports, Steve McManaman may not go down as an England great, but with a bit more attention and understanding maybe he could have. Two Spanish titles and two Champions League medals will testify to that.
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