da jogodeouro: When it comes to derbies, there are few more significant than the Merseyside Derby, and this weekend, Liverpool will once again host Everton in the Premier League.
da bet nacional: One of the things that makes this derby so great is just how close the two teams are to one another, with Anfield and Goodison Park less than a mile apart and only separated by Stanley Park.
This close proximity has always given this game a slightly different feel from other derbies in the country, and it's not particularly uncommon for families to be split down the middle when it comes to supporting one of the teams.
So, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise to learn that there have been a fair few players that have represented both sides over the years, and we here at Football FanCast have created a list with ten of them on it.
10 Gary Ablett (Liverpool 1985-1992; Everton 1992-1996)
Kicking off our list is a man who made over a century of appearances for both Merseyside clubs, Gary Ablett.
The defender was born in Tarleton just north of Liverpool and was a part of the Reds' youth system from 1982 to 1985 before making his debut for the first team in 1986 in a goalless draw against Charlton Athletic.
He was a regular starter for the team the following season and helped them win the league. During his time with the Reds, he would win two league titles, an FA Cup and three Charity Shields.
Graeme Souness sold the league-winning full-back to Everton in January 1992. While he didn't win another title with the Toffees, Ablett still enjoyed a successful spell with the blue half of the city, winning an FA Cup, a Charity Shield and making over 100 appearances.
9 Nick Barmby (Everton 1996-2000; Liverpool 2000-2002)
From a man that moved from the Reds to the Toffees to a man that made the exact opposite move, midfielder Nick Barmby.
The Hull-born player started his career with Tottenham Hotspur before moving to Middlesbrough and finally making his way to Merseyside to sign for Everton in 1996.
The impressive form that he had shown with his previous two sides carried over into his stint with the Toffees, and he made 126 appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring 21 goals in the process.
After spending four years at Goodison, Barmby was sold to Liverpool for £6m, which was a news story in of itself as he was the first player that Everton had sold to their neighbours in over four decades since Dave Hickson in 1959.
Despite spending just two seasons with the Reds, Barmby would help the team win an FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Cup, and Charity Shield all in the same season. He would also score against his old side in his first season at Anfield.
In all, he made 58 appearances for Liverpool, scored eight goals and provided seven assists.
8 David Burrows (Liverpool 1988-1993; Everton 1994-1995)
From a midfielder to a full-back, David Burrows spent quite some time holding down a starting place at Liverpool but struggled at Everton.
The Dudley-born player started his career at West Bromwich Albion before joining the Reds in October 1988. It took a little while for him to settle into the team, but once he did, he made the left-back position his own and was vital to the team that won the 1989/90 league title.
However, the resignation of Kenny Dalglish and the subsequent appointment of Graeme Souness saw his opportunities again start to decrease. So, after making 193 appearances across all competitions for the club, he left to join West Ham United in September 1993.
Just a year later, he was back on Merseyside, only this time he was playing in blue. Unfortunately, for as great a player as he was, he would only play a handful of games before moving to Coventry City in 1995, not long before the Toffees lifted the FA Cup.
7 Conor Coady (Liverpool 2011-2014; Everton 2022-2023)
On to a more recent player now, and Conor Coady may have been an essential element in Everton's survival last season, but he got his start in football with the red side of the city.
The experienced centre-back was a part of Liverpool's youth system and made his debut for the team in November 2012 during a Europa League game against Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala. However, he would make just two senior appearances for the Reds before moving to Huddersfield Town and then to Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he really made a name for himself.
After seven years with Wolves, Coady moved to the Toffees on a season-long loan and became an instant favourite among the fans for his no-nonsense style and the fact that he was a clear fighter on the pitch.
Despite an option to buy in his deal, Everton sent the defender back to Wolves, who sold him to Leicester City.
In all, he made 25 appearances for Everton.
6 Taylor Hinds (Everton 2018-2020; Liverpool 2020-present)
With the rapid growth that women's football has seen in this country, it shouldn't come as a surprise that there have been a few women who have represented both Merseyside clubs as well.
Taylor Hinds is one of those players, and after making her professional debut with Arsenal in the FA WSL Cup in 2017, Everton signed her in January 2018.
Her time with Everton was mixed, as she would only make 24 appearances across two years with the side before Liverpool signed her in July 2020.
Her time with the Reds has been fantastically successful so far, with regular appearances and a Championship title in the 2021/22 season.
5 Don Hutchison (Liverpool 1990-1994; Everton 1998-2000)
Don Hutchison may be better known for his punditry work nowadays, but he enjoyed a long career playing in English football and spent quite some time on Merseyside plying his trade with both clubs.
He was sold to Liverpool from Hartlepool United in November 1990 but would make the move until summer 1991. The 1992/93 season was his best year with the club as he finished as the team's third top scorer, thanks to his seven goals.
In all, he would make 60 appearances for the side but leave without a trophy to his name.
Following spells with West Ham and Sheffield United, Hutchison returned to the northwest and joined Everton for a two-year spell between 1998-2000.
He would make 84 appearances for the Toffees, scoring 11 goals and providing four assists, but ultimately leave empty-handed again.
4 Andy Lonergan (Liverpool 2019-2020; Everton 2021-present)
So this is an interesting one, as while he was a registered player for both sides, Andy Lonergan has never actually played a competitive game for either Liverpool or Everton.
The experienced goalkeeper spent most of his early career playing for Preston North End before moving to a plethora of clubs during the 2010s. He joined Liverpool on their pre-season tour in July 2019 as an injury crisis had left them without enough keepers.
He started for the Reds in a friendly against Sevilla in the USA – a game they lost – and then signed a short-term contract following an injury to Alisson Becker. He stayed with the team for their 2019/20 league-winning season and was released in the summer.
Spells with Stoke City and West Brom followed before Everton signed him on a one-year deal in August 2021. He was given another one-year deal in 2022 and 2023 but is unlikely to play a game anytime soon.
3 Courtney Sweetman-Kirk (Everton 2017-2018; Liverpool 2018-2020)
Courtney Sweetman-Kirk has had quite the career on and off the pitch thus far, and while she is currently playing for Championship side Sheffield United, she enjoyed a three-year spell on Merseyside, in which she donned both blue and red.
She first joined Everton in the summer of 2017 after spending the previous two years with Doncaster Rovers. Despite spending just a year with the Toffees, she made quite the impact, finishing the season as the team's top scorer with nine goals in all competitions.
She was sold to Liverpool in the summer of 2018 and spent two years with the club, scoring ten goals in her first season, before leaving after her contract expired in 2020.
2 Sander Westerveld (Liverpool 1999-2001; Everton 2006)
Now, while Sander Westerveld certainly played for both Liverpool and Everton, his stint with the Toffees was so short that you'd be forgiven if you weren't even aware it had happened.
The Dutch goalkeeper started his career in his homeland but joined Liverpool in 1999 to replace David James and, in doing so, became the most expensive keeper in British football history.
He proved to be well worth the heavy outlay, though, as he played a vital role in the club's success in the 2000/01 season, winning the FA Cup, the League Cup and the UEFA Cup.
However, mistakes started to creep into his game towards the end of his two-year spell, and he was sold to Real Sociedad in December 2001. After four years in Spain, he joined Portsmouth for a season in 2005.
Whilst still a Pompey player, Westerveld spent 28 days on loan at Everton due to a temporary goalkeeping crisis and played two games for the side before returning to the south coast.
1 Abel Xavier (Everton 1999-2002; Liverpool 2002-2003)
Right, onto our last player on the list, and Abel Xavier is, without a doubt, one of the coolest-looking footballers to ever play for either side.
The Portugal international joined Everton in September 1999 after spending nine years playing for teams in Portugal, Spain and Italy. He wouldn't win anything while at Goodison Park, but he would make 48 appearances for the side over his two-and-a-half-year stay.
He was sold to Liverpool in January 2002 following an illness to Markus Babbel. He would make 21 appearances for the team in all competitions before leaving, joining Galatasaray on loan in January 2003 and then Hannover 96 permanently in that summer.