The 23-year-old arrived in time to relax in his exclusive interview – on the day of confirmation of his inclusion in the composition of the World Squad.
Alexis is the Premier League’s rising star
Brighton midfielder Alexis Mac Allister became a starting XI regular with Argentina, but it’s been quite a journey. The 23-year-old arrived in time to relax in his exclusive interview – on the day of confirmation of his inclusion in the composition of the World Squad. Mac Allister has earned three consecutive starts in Qatar since a 2-1 shock loss to Saudi Arabia – winning all three and scoring his first goal for the national team in a 2-0 victory over Poland – and will now face Netherlands in the quarter-finals. Humble and committed, he is one of the Premier League’s rising stars and is now established in the world’s elite phase – but how did he get here?
Mac Allister made the right decision to sign for Brighton
The Argentine has only been a regular at Brighton since the middle of last season. Still, he has been on the elite radars for most of his professional career, having made his international debut three years ago trading in Buenos Aires. The Seagulls snagged him for just £7m six months ago and loaned him back to Argentinos Juniors for the remainder of the campaign before sanctioning a six-month loan contract with Boca Juniors at the start of the 2019/20 season. So was there then interest from other clubs in the top leagues in Europe? “Not really,” he says. “I played with Argentinos Juniors, and Brighton came to Argentina. They spoke to my agent and me, and they said I’m one of the best U21 players with the best numbers – because Brighton works a lot with numbers and statistics. I made the right decision to come here.”
The Argentine was a supporter of Juan Roman Riquelme since his childhood
Mac Allister was brought up in a football family; together with his father, Carlos, he played for Argentinos, Boca, Racing Club and Argentina. His two older brothers, Kevin and Francis, are also active senior footballers in his home country. “I’ve been playing football since I was born,” he says. “It’s all 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 fascinating. Pablo Aimar, I also really liked “And of course, Messi is a hero too. Alexis signed a new deal in October to extend his contract with Amex until at least 2025. So what assured him to dedicate his immediate future to the Amex?”
The Brighton midfielder enjoyed being with his girlfriend and family
“The people around the club are amazing, my teammates, the new manager and the new staff,” he says. “Those are some of the things that made me comfortable here. Of course, we also have the hunger to win and improve as a club and a squad. It’s a great club, and you can see it on the table. We’re in a good place right now and playing excellent football.” Does the vibrant lifestyle of the seaside city also play a role? “To be honest, I don’t do much! I go home, go to the couch, have a couple of drinks and watch football and listen to people talk about football. I am a football supporter and I always try to see where I can improve. Try to relax and be a professional, and of course, enjoy being with my girlfriend and family when they’re here.”
Alexis has Scottish and Irish descent and shares the last name of ex-Premier League star and Scotland international Gary McAllister. The Argentine jokes: “When we played against Villa, he would come over, and we’d talk about the last name and all that – but we don’t know if we’re related!” Like his namesake, Mac Allister has a growing reputation for scoring miracle goals – but the numbers suggest that his most significant strength is actually in his defensive work.