MX23RW : Tuesday, December 18 19:24:05

Crossing the divide – players who have turned out for Liverpool and Man Utd

Crossing the divide – players who have turned out for Liverpool and Man Utd
© Reuters
Only three players have represented both major rivals in the last 50 years.

Bitter rivals Liverpool and Manchester United meet for the first time this season on Sunday afternoon – the pair having had differing starts to the campaign.

While Liverpool are enjoying sitting top of the Premier League, United are 16 points adrift and languishing sixth in the table.

Not many players have occupied the home dressing room at both Anfield and Old Trafford over the years – although both Tom McNulty and Phil Chisnall moved directly from United to Liverpool in 1954 and 1964, respectively.

Here, Press Association Sport takes a look at the three men who have represented both of the English giants at senior level in the last 50 years.

Peter Beardsley

Peter Beardsley (right) scored 59 goals for Liverpool having not been able to break through at Old Trafford.
Peter Beardsley (right) scored 59 goals for Liverpool having not been able to break through at Old Trafford (PA Archive)

While Beardsley would go on to win two league titles at Liverpool and collect 59 England caps, his career started slowly.

Released as a teenager by Newcastle, the forward dropped down to represent Carlisle and then across the Atlantic to Vancouver Whitecaps.

In 1982 he secured a move back to the big time with Manchester United – but again it would not work out for Beardsley.

He failed to impress manager Ron Atkinson and was limited to just one first-team appearance for the club, a League Cup tie against Bournemouth in which
he was replaced by Norman Whiteside.

Another stint with the Whitecaps preceded a return to Newcastle – where this time Beardsley established himself in the side and spent four seasons at St James’ Park.

His performances caught the eye of Kenny Dalglish and he moved to Liverpool in 1987, winning two league titles and an FA Cup, before he left Anfield to join city rivals Everton in 1991.

Paul Ince

Paul Ince (left) won two Premier League titles while at Manchester United.
Paul Ince (left) won two Premier League titles while at Manchester United (Harris/PA Archive)

After emerging through the ranks at boyhood club West Ham, Ince made the move to join United in 1989 following the Hammers’ relegation to the Second Division.

A combative midfielder with an eye for a spectacular goal, Ince established himself as a firm favourite on the Old Trafford terraces.

He played a major part in the first two Premier League title wins for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side, also lifting the European Cup Winners’ Cup, League Cup and two FA Cups in his six-year stint with the Red Devils.

Ince was one of three key players who were sold by Ferguson after United failed to win any silverware in the 1994/95 season – leaving for Inter Milan as Mark Hughes and Andrei Kanchelskis also made way for the Class of ’92 to emerge.

The England midfielder made 73 appearances in two seasons in Italy before a move to join Liverpool was completed.

Ince would spend two years at Anfield but could not help the Reds to any trophy success, his most memorable moment coming when he equalised in a 2-2 draw against United at Anfield – a goal he celebrated with vigour.

Michael Owen

Michael Owen was Liverpool's first-choice striker for much of his time at Anfield.
Michael Owen was Liverpool’s first-choice striker for much of his time at Anfield (Tom Hevezi/PA)

A teenage sensation at Liverpool, Owen won the Ballon d’Or in 2001 – the last Englishman to be awarded the accolade – as his goals guided Gerard Houllier’s side to League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup glory.

Owen was just 17 when he made his Liverpool debut towards the end of the 1996/97 season but finished joint-top goalscorer in the Premier League the following year as he terrorised defences with his blistering pace and unerring finishing.

His standout season of 2000/01 saw him end the campaign with 28 goals across all competitions, then three years later he was tempted away from Anfield with a move to Real Madrid.

Owen spent just one season in Spain before returning to England to join Newcastle, where a string of injuries prevented the Magpies from seeing him at his best.

Newcastle were relegated in 2009 and Owen left the club at the end of his contract and was surprisingly snapped up by Manchester United.

Though now some way off his best and often a bit-part player, Owen hit a last-gasp winner in a 4-3 victory over Manchester City, scored a Champions League hat-trick away at Wolfsburg, found the back of the net in a League Cup final win over Aston Villa and lifted the Premier League for the one and only time in his career before departing in 2011.


Click here for more stories about Michael Owen

Click here for more stories about Manchester United

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Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool1714303773045
2Manchester CityMan City17142148103844
3Tottenham HotspurSpurs17130431161539
4Chelsea17114235142137
5Arsenal17104337231434
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd177552929026
7Wolverhampton WanderersWolves177461919025
8Everton176652422224
9West Ham UnitedWest Ham177372525024
10Watford177372325-224
11Bournemouth177282528-323
12Leicester CityLeicester176472121022
13Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton176382024-421
14Newcastle UnitedNewcastle174491422-816
15Crystal Palace1743101423-915
16Cardiff CityCardiff1742111733-1614
17Southampton172691632-1612
18Burnley1733111533-1812
19Huddersfield TownHuddersfield1724111028-1810
20Fulham1723121642-269

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