Mirthy beat!

HE wisecracked his way through a dozen interviews in the leisurely, laid-back style of Stan Boardman holding court in an Aintree chippy.

Shadowing 'Uncle Jack's' latest offering to the Rovers faithful around Ewood's corridors of power is certainly no straightforward man-marking job.

And, when he bustled down the touchline to face yet another TV camera, just keeping pace was an effort - especially for an ageing journalist.

Jason McAteer obviously lives life, and football, in the fast lane.

It almost makes you sympathise with those opponents who have been left gasping in the slipstream of the lung-bursting runs which have become his trademark.

But Spice boy? More like nice guy was the immediate impression.

And no-one, but no-one, is immune from the archetypal Scouse wit which comes rattling out, machine-gun style.

Certainly not his new boss Brian Kidd.

"He's got a CV second-to-none . . . err, well second only to Alex Ferguson," he grinned.

Nor the television crew who informed the producer: "Yes, We've got Jason McAteer here with us at Ewood Park now." "No they haven't, they're somewhere they shouldn't be in Leeds," came the Mac attack, loud enough to be heard back at TV HQ.

"And don't ask me about the shampoo ads. I'm definitely not doing any more shampoo ads after all the stick I've had at every ground in the country," he laughs to another.

It might well be worth keeping an eye out when "It'll be All Right on the Night 150" is released.

A few out-takes are guaranteed to have been stored away for future use.

But he isn't here for a laugh.

"I can't be doing with all this really," he confides, waving his arm in the general direction of the cameras, tape recorders, notebooks and hovering pens.

"I can't wait to get my hands dirty and get to work."

Clearly, behind the wise-cracking scally, whose leaving of Liverpool even provoked tears from the canteen ladies at the club's training ground, there is a Mr Serious itching to get out.

Serious about the obvious respect he has for Brian Kidd and how he has been made to feel wanted again after seeing the writing on the wall at Anfield.

Serious about his ambitions and how he believes they can be achieved at Ewood.

And serious, deadly serious, that Blackburn Rovers should be looking to win the championship again.

Having come from a club where they once regarded the title as almost permanent property, such an attitude will go down well with supporters who yearn for those days to return. And, although he has joined in the middle of a relegation battle, he is already looking ahead with optimism and ambition.

"There's the old football cliche about being too good to go down but I really believe that about Blackburn," he explained.

"I hope I can do my bit and results so far show what has happened since Brian has come.

"I think we'll soon climb the table.

"Then next season will be a fresh start and I am sure there will be one or two other players to come in and, hopefully, the squad will be challenging for Europe.

"This a big club with a lot of ambitions.

"They have already won the title once so they know how to do it.

"And why shouldn't you set your goals high and aim for the title?"

Why not indeed and, in Kidd, McAteer seems to have found a kindred spirit. He clearly believes he has signed for a man who can help him achieve his goals.

How big an influence was Kidd in persuading his fourth major capture to quit the Anfield bench?

"He was probably the biggest reason. He's definitely a man you want to play for," was the rapid reply.

"We are talking about a manager who has set up the training sessions to win the title.

"He's got good ideas and he makes you feel wanted.

"That's a great feeling to have in football.

"On the playing side, I feel wanted here, rather than being a fringe player. "No player likes to be on the bench. Everyone wants to be on that pitch with the shirt on."

Some people, chief executive John Williams among them, believe the fact that Rovers are able to take players from the likes of Liverpool - admittedly not a regular starter at the time - underlines the club's ambitions.

But McAteer harbours no doubts about that anyway.

Refreshingly, if perhaps a little surprisingly, he speaks of the clubs as being on a par.

And he envisages no problems settling into his new surroundings.

"Liverpool was like home to me and, having been a big fan since I was a boy, it was a dream come true for me to play for them," he said.

"But I've done the Liverpool thing now. I have made my decision and I knew it was time to move on.

"Joining Blackburn is a special challenge for me because it is a massive club that is going places.

"I just had to seize this opportunity for Jason McAteer's sake."

"And, having enjoyed my time at Bolton, I can relate to Blackburn, no problem. This seems to me to be a family club and everyone has gone out of their way to make me feel welcome."

Blackburn and Jason McAteer, in fact, seem destined to have joined forces sooner or later.

"I made my debut for Liverpool against Blackburn, going on as a substitute for Jamie Redknapp in September 1995," he recalls instantly. "Debuts are funny things. They're over before you know it.

"On my Bolton debut I was thrown in at the deep end (Mark Patterson, he points out, was in the Wanderers side that day) and I just remember running round like a nutter for half an hour." He has other causes to remember Rovers, one not so nice having suffered a broken leg against them.

And, back again in September 1995, he spent several hours at Brockhall with the combined force of Kenny Dalglish and Ray Harford trying to persuade him that Ewood, rather than Anfield was the place to be.

Kidd has finally succeeded in that mission and could not be happier about his latest acquisition.

He has earmarked the Republic of Ireland star to play the central midfield role the player likes best, though both men admit that his versatility could also serve the club well. That was his position at Bolton but he has largely filled a wing-back spot at Anfield.

For McAteer the main thing is to be in the team, rather than looking in from the outside as he saw things to be shaping up under Gerard Houllier.

Much has been made about him taking a pay cut to join Rovers which merely emphasises he has made the move for football reasons, aiming to revive his Premiership career and enhance his international ambitions.

Considering that Republic boss Mick McCarthy was among the first to call him to congratulate McAteer on his move it seems to be working.

And, at the kind of pace that fits in with the lifestyle of this man on the run.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.