ARGENTINA World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister was born to do it.The 24-year-old, who was instrumental in his country’s success in Qatar, is about to embark on a new challenge.
Alexis Mac Allister of Argentina and Brighton boasts a famous family tree in his homelandCredit: Getty
Dad Carlos Mac Allister, centre, played with Diego Maradona at Boca Juniors
The midfielder has become Liverpool’s first signing of the season, after completing a £55million deal from Brighton.
The midfielder told Liverpoolfc.com: “It feels amazing. It’s a dream come true, it’s amazing to be here and I can’t wait to get started.
“I wanted to be in [from] the first day of pre-season, so it’s good that everything is done. I’m looking forward to meeting my teammates.
“It was a fantastic year for me – World Cup, what we achieved with Brighton – but now it’s time to think about Liverpool and try to be a better player and a better human being every day.”
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His rise as a Premier League star has been helped by having football in his blood.
Dad Carlos played alongside Diego Maradona, although missed out on the 1994 World Cup squad.
His older brothers Francis, 27, and Kevin, 25, turn out in the Argentine top flight for Rosario Central and Argentinos Juniors respectively.
While uncle Patricio also enjoyed a successful career most notably with Estudiantes.
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Football in the blood
Alexis began his football education at Club Social Parque in Buenos Aires, alongside his two brothers.
Famously, it’s where Maradona, Carlos Tevez and Juan Roman Riquelme all honed their skills on the small pitches there.
They practically lived in the club – with the three consistently training with their own age group and sometimes together.
A short stint at Club JJ Batista was then followed by a move to Argentinos Juniors.
“I think the three of them were born to be footballers, because they grew up with everything that had happened to my brother and me as footballers,” Carlos told The Athletic back in 2020.
It was the Carlos and his sibling Patricio who paved for the way for the younger generation.
Steeped in football, they branched into building their own club. This would also see Alexis involved.
Club Mac Allister
Carlos and Patricio launched their own football academy in La Pampa.
It bore their name and was launched as Club Mac Allister in 1998.
Alexis played with Francis and Kevin, although they were so engrossed in the world of football, they took on additional responsibilities.
Uncle Patricio Mac Allister set up a football academy with his dadCredit: YouTube / VIDEOSZONADEPORTIVA
Kevin Mac Allister currently plays for Argentinos JuniorsCredit: Getty
Francis Mc Allister also turned out for Argentinos JuniorsCredit: Getty
Alexis Mac Allister with brothers Kevin, left, and Francis, right
“I’d do scouting reports for a Spanish side, Osasuna, so they were with me and they helped me to put the report together,” Carlos explained.
“I was following two or three players; one of the boys would follow one player, another would follow another player, the third would follow a third player — and we’d send reports on the teams from Argentina.
“So they grew up around football.”
Alexis, himself, confessed the same.
“I was playing football [almost from birth],” he told Sky Sports.
“Everything is about football with my family, we watch it and talk about it. We love football.
“Growing up, I watched Juan Roman Riquelme because I supported Boca Juniors and he played there. He was amazing. I really liked Pablo Aimar, too, and of course, Messi is a hero as well.”
They’re not Scottish
Throughout the years, starting off with Carlos and Patricio, the family have had to field questions about their name.
The assumption was their family tree would have Scottish links. But Carlos quickly put those suspicions to rest.
Mac Allister has impressed for Argentina at the World CupCredit: Getty
Carlos Mac Allister has explained where the surname has come fromCredit: AFP
“According to our family, we came from Ireland, rather than Scotland,” he revealed.
He continued: “We came to Argentina, to a place called Pergamino, but that was three or four generations ago, and later my father and mother married and moved to a different place — Santa Rosa in the Province of La Pampa, which is where Alexis was born.
“Now, when we get together, they always say that our ancestors came from Ireland. I don’t know whether the ones before them were from Scotland, and went to Ireland from Scotland, and then our ancestors came here. But we say that we came from Ireland.”
Alexis’s rise
Like his brothers before him, his dad and uncle, Alexis followed family tradition by representing Argentinos Juniors.
He made his debut for the club aged just 17 – when they played in the second tier.
Incredibly, all three once played in a game away at San Lorenzo in a 1-0 defeat.
But for Alexis, there was a greater calling.
In 2019, he signed for Brighton, before he was loaned back to Juniors and then Boca, where he once again teamed up with his brother Kevin for regular game time.
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Since 2020, Alexis was a regular for the Seagulls – establishing himself in their engine room alongside fellow South American Moises Caicedo, who is also seemingly leaving this summer.
It comes as little surprise that he has now moved to Anfield, where he will be hopeful of greater success.
Alexis Mac Allister was a revelation at Brighton from 2020Credit: AFP More
