Soccer: Treble on, insists McAllister

Veteran Gary McAllister hailed hot-shot Michael Owen as a ‘‘very special player’’ who is going to get better and better.

The 36 year-old Scot came on for the last half-hour as a substitute for Didier Hamann and was instrumental in sparking Liverpool’s dramatic comeback with the set-piece delivery that set up the equaliser for Owen.

Afterwards McAllister insisted that the cup treble ‘‘is on’’ and hailed Owen’s contribution.

He said: ‘‘Michael Owen is a very special footballer, and he’s a young man who is going to get better. With him in your team you are always going to have a chance.

‘‘Yes, the treble is on. If we go into the next game against Alaves on Wednesday in the UEFA Cup final like we did this one with the right preparation, we can do it.

‘‘Everyone will be ready and focused. We were all afterwards, obviously, because it looked like we were going to be beaten.

‘‘When they scored and I looked up at the clock there wasn’t much time left at all, and it’s fair to say I thought we’d had it at that point.

‘‘But we took our chances, it’s as simple as that.’’