Gary McAllister Urges Liverpool to Sign Free Agent Harry Wilson

Gary McAllister knows what it means to arrive at Anfield on a free transfer and change the course of a career. Now he thinks Liverpool should give Harry Wilson the same chance.

Wilson, 29, is set to leave Fulham at the end of the month after failing to agree a new deal, walking away from Craven Cottage after five years, 187 appearances, 36 goals and 46 assists. That sort of output, at Premier League level, rarely hits the market for nothing.

And McAllister cannot quite believe Liverpool might let it pass them by.

“Coached in the Liverpool way”

Wilson is no stranger to the club. He grew up in the Liverpool Academy system, the bright wide player everyone at Kirkby talked about, the one who seemed destined to make it. It never quite happened. Two senior appearances for the Reds were all he managed before a carousel of loans took him to Crewe Alexandra, Hull City, Derby County, Bournemouth and Cardiff City, and then on to Fulham, first on loan and then permanently.

The talent never went away. It just flourished somewhere else.

“He’s a really interesting one,” McAllister said. “He’s been coached in the Liverpool way, and he always caught the eye when you were around Anfield.”

McAllister spent time around the club in various roles after his own playing days, watching the Academy closely. Wilson, he recalls, was a regular name on people’s lips.

“When I was doing bits and bobs for the club, you’d hear about the young players coming through, and he was one of the standouts.

“I watched Harry from a very young age, and the performances you’ve seen at Fulham are very similar to what I saw when he was playing for the youth team at Liverpool.”

The Welshman’s game has rounded out with experience. A sharp left foot, vision from that right flank, and the engine to work both ways. McAllister sees a winger who has grown into a complete Premier League operator.

“With his passing range, his ability to get a goal, and his work-rate, he’s becoming a very complete player,” he said.

A market opportunity Liverpool can’t ignore?

Wilson will not be short of suitors. Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Everton have all been strongly linked with a move for the Wales international, who has 69 caps and featured in all three of his country’s matches at the last World Cup. Those numbers speak to a player who can handle big occasions and heavy scrutiny.

The context at Anfield makes McAllister’s argument even louder. Liverpool are reshaping their attack. Mohamed Salah has departed, leaving a gaping hole on the right-hand side, while Hugo Ekitike faces a long-term injury lay-off. Goals, creativity and depth out wide have suddenly become urgent business.

So when a proven Premier League right winger, in his prime years, walks away on a free?

“So, it’s no surprise there’s interest, as he’s up at the end of the season, and I’m sure there will be a lot of takers,” McAllister said. “Liverpool should be one of them.”

This is not nostalgia talking. It is cold, football logic from a man who knows what a smart free transfer can do for a dressing room. McAllister himself arrived at Liverpool in 2000 amid raised eyebrows and left as a cult hero, with a UEFA Cup, FA Cup and League Cup on his CV.

Speaking to Grosvenor Casino, he made his stance on Wilson crystal clear.

“Without a shadow of a doubt, Harry is a top-end Premier League player now,” he said. “He has been on the international stage for his country as well, and he’s been fantastic there. I’m really pleased for him because he’s a very hard worker.”

The question now hangs over Anfield. With rivals circling and a gap on the right wing, will Liverpool let one of their own, polished elsewhere and now available for nothing, light up another club’s season instead?