He played a key role in some memorable victories for Ireland during a glittering career.
Now Jason McAteer is back in the spotlight after being tasked with saving Greystones Utd AFC from relegation in a new fly-on-the-wall series.
The 47-year-old and ex-Liverpool legends John Barnes and John Aldridge attempt to turn round the fortunes of the rock-bottom Co Wicklow Sunday league side.
They will appear in the the latest BetVictor Training SOS show – the popular YouTube broadcasts where ex-pros help struggling teams.
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The two-part series, which has been viewed nearly 500,000 times, was filmed over a month from late January when the team faced certain relegation from the Leinster Senior Divison 1 Sunday table, with just four draws and nine losses from their 13 games.
But manager Martin Killilea said his team’s prospects and his players’ self-belief have since been transformed after their coaching sessions with the soccer legends, which also included one at Anfield, overseen by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.
Since being “signed-up” for Training SOS, which was filmed in association with the Reds, the ailing side started winning games and quickly rose from bottom of the 14-team table to 8th.
And although the side has since slipped down to 10th, a victory in their final game next week will ensure they avoid relegation – a feat which seemed highly improbable just a few weeks ago.
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Boss Killilea said: “We were dead and buried before Jason McAteer turned up, but what he and the other Liverpool lads left us with was a new sense of confidence and self-belief.
“We’ve still a fight on our hands to avoid the drop but the difference now is we really believe in ourselves.”
And reflecting on his experience with the Sunday league team, McAteer said in the documentary: “I’m a massive believer that team spirit can add someting.
“Playing for Ireland all those years I did, we were never blessed with world-class players.
“We had a sprinkling, but what we had was this unbelievable team spirit.
“To be honest,when I was first told about the Greystones story and the mess they were in, I just didn’t know how they were going to change their fortunes around. Yes, we’ve given them some decent mentors over the last couple of weeks but the real stars are the players themselves.
“It’s their hard work, dedication, character and a new-found team spirit that will ensure they retain their league status. Anything is possible from here.”
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