Alexis Mac Allister makes honest admission as Liverpool star confesses 'I had my bags packed'
Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister has revealed how close he came to leaving English football, a decision that could have completely altered his career trajectory. The 26-year-old has so far enjoyed a dream career–winning the Premier League with Liverpool and helping Argentina to Copa America and World Cup triumphs–but he initially struggled after arriving in England.
Mac Allister signed for Brighton from Argentinos Juniors in January 2019 but was loaned back before spending time alongside his brother Kevin at Boca Juniors the following season. After impressing during these spells in his homeland, Brighton recalled Mac Allister in January 2020, debuting against Wolves in March 2020. However, that turned out to be the Seagulls' final game before football shut down due to the covid-19 pandemic.
The culture shock of swapping Argentina for England and the effects of the ongoing pandemic left Mac Allister feeling alone. He admitted to packing his bags and being ready to leave Brighton, which could have prevented him from becoming a hero for Liverpool and Argentina.
'As footballers, we always say that you become a man very early. But in other ways, you're still a boy,' Mac Allister wrote for Players' Tribune, reflecting on his time at Brighton in 2020.
'I was calling my mom on FaceTime every day, asking how to turn on the oven and where to put the detergent. And being alone, without playing, you get depressed.
'Many don't know this, but by that Christmas, with no fans in the stadiums, I had my bags packed. Literally, they were packed. I had two offers to leave — one from Russia and another from Spain, and my mind was made up.
'My mom was back in Buenos Aires, and I called her one day crying my eyes out, telling her, 'I quit. I can't do this anymore. But moms…. They always know what to say, don't they?'
Mac Allister clearly listened to his mother's advice and stayed put at Brighton. When the Premier League resumed, he featured in all except one of the Seagulls' games. After a spell in and out of the team, Mac Allister became a regular starter the following season, with his displays eventually earning him a recall to the Argentina squad months before the 2022 World Cup.
Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp later came calling for the World Cup winner, with Mac Allister being part of a midfield overhaul that laid the foundations for Arne Slot 's title-winning side. Mac Allister, who also paid an emotional tribute to Diogo Jota, is acutely aware of how differently his career could have gone if he had ignored his mother in 2020.
'I have to give a big hug to my mother,' Mac Allister said. 'Without her, none of this would have happened. I would not be a Premier League champion. I certainly would not be a World Cup champion. Maybe you would not even know my name.'
He added: 'Can you imagine if I had left for Spain? For Russia? I would be an answer in one of those pub quizzes they have in England.
'Next question: who was the Argentinian guy with the Irish name who played 15 games for Brighton? Ahhhh, damn. Who was that guy? Mac something… What happened to him?' But no, that was not my fate. My mom saved me.'
Mac Allister made 35 appearances as Liverpool won the Premier League title by 10 points last term. As he prepares to help the Reds defend their crown, the midfielder admits to being proud of not giving up on his dream.
'In 2020, my name was nothing. I couldn't get a game for Brighton,' Mac Allister recalled. 'I was crying with my mom on FaceTime, begging to come home. Two years later, I was a World Cup Champion. Then a Copa América champion. Now I'm a Premier League champion. Even a Ballon D'Or nominee.
'That's football, no? It's so crazy. The only way that I can explain my story is that I never gave up. That's what I'd like to teach my daughter in a few years. Yes, Daddy fought against a lot of things, but he knew how to overcome them all. You just keep fighting. That's the great lesson.'
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