Alan Mahon starred for Tranmere Rovers as a left-sided midfielder as a youngster before a bosman free move to try his hand in Portugese football with Sporting Lisbon.
He failed to settle in Portugal and Graeme Souness brought him back to English football for £1.5 million. He has often had to play as an emergency left-back for Blackburn but has never been able to replicate the form he showed at Tranmere