Jason McAteer

Jason Wynne McAteer (born 18 June 1971) is a former professional footballer.

His primary position was in centre midfield, though he was also an able right winger and full-back.

His family were shaken by the closure of the shipyards in the 1980s, and he began the 1990s in a state of unemployment.

Reading took a 2–0 lead in the first half and led the match until the 86th minute when Bolton scored a late equaliser to make the game 2–2 and force extra-time.

Bolton went on to win the match 4–3 after extra time, and McAteer was given his first chance of FA Premier League football.

McAteer was part of the group of 1990s Liverpool players known as the "Spice Boys" for the tabloid attention towards their private lives.

Other players named in this group included Robbie Fowler, Steve McManaman and Jamie Redknapp.

During his professional career from 1992 to 2007, McAteer played for five clubs, Bolton Wanderers, Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers, Sunderland and finally Tranmere Rovers.

His transfer fees added up to £9.5 million.

McAteer got his big break aged 20, at local non-league team Marine, when impressing for Marine Reserves against the Bolton Wanderers A team in 1992.

He had no contract with Marine, and Bolton purchased the young midfielder for £500 plus a large bag of footballs.

He made his first team debut against Burnley in a Division Two game at Burnden Park on 28 November 1992, finishing on the winning side in a 4–0 triumph.

He made a total of 21 appearances in the 1992–93 season for Bolton, who finished the season as runners-up and secured promotion to Division One.

Bolton were FA Cup quarter-finalists in the 1993–94 season and achieved a comfortable position in Division One.

Born in England, he represented the Republic of Ireland national team at international level, winning 52 international caps and playing at the World Cup in 1994 and 2002.

McAteer was born in Birkenhead on the Wirral.

During the 1994–95 season, Bolton reached the final of the Football League Cup (their first appearance in a major cup final for 37 years), but lost 2–1 to Liverpool.

McAteer and his colleagues returned to Wembley the following month on 29 May 1995, as they reached the final of the Division One playoffs having finished third in the league.

Their opponents on this occasion were Reading.

Early in the 1995–96 season, McAteer joined Liverpool in a £4.5 million deal after he played against them in the 1995 Football League Cup Final for Bolton.

He came close to joining Blackburn Rovers in 1995, but when Liverpool declared an interest, McAteer decided to sign for the team he had supported as a boy and turned down the then Blackburn manager Kenny Dalglish.

He made his Liverpool debut on 16 September 1995 in a 3–0 win against Blackburn at Anfield, coming on as a late substitute for John Barnes.

During his time at Anfield, McAteer also filled in at right back for certain spells despite being primarily a central midfielder.

He played in the 1996 FA Cup Final against Manchester United in which Liverpool lost to a single goal scored by Eric Cantona.

In total he made 139 appearances for Liverpool, scoring six goals over four seasons.

He broke his leg whilst playing against Blackburn at Anfield on 31 January 1998.

He made a full recovery and on his return to the first team scored two goals against West Ham United on 2 May 1998.

Blackburn Rovers manager Brian Kidd signed McAteer for £4 million on 27 January 1999.

He signed a four-year contract with wages of £20,000 a week.

Rovers were relegated that season, but McAteer would help the club to promotion back to the Premiership in 2001 during his second full season with the club.

Souness sold McAteer to Sunderland for £1 million in October 2001, on a three-year deal.

He made 27 appearances that season, but was unable to prevent the Black Cats' relegation to the First Division the following season.

During his time with Rovers, McAteer had a vicious argument one day with manager Graeme Souness, and said of him in 2002: "He almost ruined my career and I cannot help but despise him for it."

After a double abdominal hernia operation, he played only five times between September 2002 and December 2003.

In his first game back on 13 December, he took just four minutes to score away to West Ham United, albeit in a 3–2 loss.

He played both legs of the play-off semi-final against Crystal Palace in May 2004 before being released at the end of the year.

In July 2004, McAteer was close to a one-year deal at newly relegated Leicester City, which was called off due to unforeseen circumstances.

Days later, he signed a two-year deal with Tranmere Rovers, hoping to play out his career with his hometown club.

He trained as a coach ready to embark on a career in that department after his retirement.

He was made club captain by manager Brian Little, skippering the side to the League One play-off semi-finals, where they eventually lost on penalties to Hartlepool United.