Kevin Mac Allister: Father who named the defender after the famous Home Alone character predicts summer move to Spain or Italy after strong performances for Union St Gilloise | OneFootball

In November 1990, a Christmas-themed movie named Home Alone was released in American theatres. Kevin McCallister, an eight-year-old boy, is forced to defend his Chicago home from being invaded by a pair of robbers after his family accidentally leave him behind on their vacation to Paris. It quickly became an instant classic and was even the highest-grossing live-action comedy for two decades after making a total of $476.7 million worldwide, and it has evolved into a franchise that has produced five different sequels.

Out of all the millions of people who watched Home Alone, one of them was Carlos Javier Mac Allister, an Argentinian international left back who played for a host of Argentine clubs such as Boca Juniors. Carlos has fathered four children – his daughter is a lawyer, his oldest son is a professional footballer for Instituto in the Argentine top-flight, whilst his youngest son Alexis has emerged as one of the finest midfielders on the planet for club and country, winning a Copa América and a World Cup with Argentina and leading Liverpool to the top of the Premier League and Champions League table. His middle son, however, was given the name Kevin in honour of the beloved child protagonist of the Home Alone franchise.

Just like his two brothers and his father, Kevin started off in Argentinos Juniors, making his first-team debut on February 27, 2016 in a 4-1 defeat to Estudiantes. After suffering relegation in 2016, Kevin would make 16 appearances and help El Semillero del Mundo finish atop the second tier for the 2016/17 Primera B season. That same year, Mac Allister received a call-up to the Argentina U20 squad for the 2017 South American Youth Football Championship in Ecuador, only to miss out due to injury. He would have to wait another four years before making his first and only international appearance, playing the full 90 on March 29, 2021, in a friendly against Japan’s U-21 side.

And just like Alexis and Carlos, Kevin joined Boca Juniors for the second step in his career, arriving on loan in January 2019, before returning to La Paternal. Bit by bit, Kevin emerged as one of the finest defenders on the continent and was even named in the Argentine Primera División Team of the Season for 2023. This alerted the interest of a number of clubs, and it wasn’t long before Kevin was leaving Buenos Aires for the first time in his life. One month after Alexis traded Brighton & Hove Albion for fellow Premier League side Liverpool, Kevin made the move across the Atlantic, joining Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise.

Kevin was thrown into the deep end and immediately entrusted with a starting spot in central defence, and after just a couple of months, he was even wearing the captain’s armband. He excelled under Alexander Blessin, leading the team in tackles per game (2.7) and interceptions per game (1.8) in the league. All in all, Kevin made 46 appearances for USG, who finished second in the Belgian Pro League and third in their UEFA Europa League group, before eventually falling to Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Europa Conference Round of 16. However, perhaps his two most memorable matches came on October 5, 2023, when he faced off against his brother Alexis in a Europa League match, and on May 9, 2024, when he led them to a 1-0 victory against Royal Antwerp in the Belgian Cup Final, claiming the trophy for the first time since 1914.

It’s been more of the same for Kevin this season. The 27-year-old defender has proven indispensable under new manager Sébastien Pocognoli, racking up 28 appearances across all competitions, and he’s even deputized as a right wing-back. Out of the four goals that he’s scored during his 74 matches for USG, three have come this season, including a goal vs. Roma in the Europa League. He leads the team for tackles per game (2.9) and interceptions per game (1.5) in the league, whilst only Christian Burgess (5.5) is managing more clearances per game than him (3.4).

The Brussels-based side have already earned their first piece of silverware this season, beating Club Brugge 2-1 in the Belgian Super Cup, but with Kevin excelling in defense, that may not be the last. They are on track to qualify for the Europa League knockout phase playoffs, and they sit third in the Jupiler Pro League and are vying for their 12th league title and their first in 90 years.

“Kevin is very good in the air, very aggressive and good at marking, he’s a very good professional who always gives 100%,” said Carlos in an RG interview. “He is the defender with the second-most recoveries in Belgium; he’s starting every game and has already scored two headers. I think he’s ready to make the next step and in June, he’ll have the possibility of joining a mid-table team in Spain or Italy.”

Since returning to the Belgian top-flight in 2021 after a 48-year drought, USG haven’t just solidified their status as one of the best teams in Belgium – they’ve also developed a reputation for helping to develop raw talents and give them the platform to flourish in Europe’s top five leagues. From Deniz Undav (Stuttgart) to Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton), from Mohamed Amoura (Wolfsburg) to Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen), there are quite a few players who, after polishing their skills at the Stade Joseph Marien, are now making a name for themselves at the biggest clubs on the continent. With a contract that’s set to expire in June 2026, it’s only a matter of time before Kevin does the same.

Zach Lowy