From Peter Beardsley to Nick Barmby - Meet the players who crossed the Merseyside derby rivalry and played for both Liverpool and Everton

Comments (0)
Peter Beardsley and Nick Barmby played for both Liverpool and Everton
GOAL
More than 40 players have played for both Merseyside rivals Liverpool and Everton

The longest-running top-flight derby in England, Liverpool and Everton have been continuously competing against each other since the 1962-63 season.

With their home stadiums within a mile of each other, tensions run high between these two clubs' fans every time on derby day.

Since the mid-1980s, the Liverpool-Everton rivalry has intensified on and off the field. This game has seen the most number of red cards than any other since the beginning of the Premier League era.

Despite the extent of their rivalry, many players have represented both Liverpool and Everton in their careers.

Who are they? Let's take a look!

  1. Dick Foreshaw
    Getty Images

    Dick Foreshaw

    Dick Foreshaw played for Liverpool and Everton during the period between the First and Second World Wars.

    The majority of his appearances came as a striker for Liverpool between 1919 and 1927. He made 266 appearances for the Reds, scoring 117 goals.

    In 1927, he joined Everton and scored eight goals in 42 appearances until 1929.

    Foreshaw holds the record of being the only player ever to win league titles with both Liverpool (1921-22 & 1922-23) and Everton (1928-29).

  2. Tommy Johnson
    Getty Images

    Tommy Johnson

    English striker Tommy Johnson began his career with Manchester City in 1919 and in his 11-year stint with them, he scored 166 goals in 354 games.

    Everton recognised his quality and signed him in 1930 for £6,000. He formed an incredible strike partnership with Dixie Dean as Everton won the Second Division Championship in Johnson's first full season at the club.

    Johnson also featured for the Everton team that won the 1933 FA Cup final against his former team Manchester City.

    In March 1934, he moved to Liverpool and made 36 appearances in his two-year stint at the club, scoring eight goals.

  3. Dave Hickson
    Getty Images

    Dave Hickson

    Salford-born Dave Hickson joined Everton in 1948. He made 139 appearances for the Toffees, scoring 63 goals before moving to Aston Villa in 1955. He then joined Huddersfield Town before returning to Everton in 1957.

    In his second spell at the club, Hickson scored 32 goals in 86 appearances between 1957 and 1959.

    Liverpool came calling in 1959 and Hickson was reunited with manager Bill Shankly. He scored 37 goals in just 60 games for the Reds before leaving the club in 1961.

  4. Nick Barmby
    Getty Images

    Nick Barmby

    An ever-present name in the Premier League in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Nick Barmby made a name for himself at Tottenham Hotspur.

    Everton signed him in 1996 and over the next four years, the attacking midfielder featured in 116 games for them, scoring 18 goals.

    In the summer of 2000, Liverpool made a move for Barmby, paying £6 million to Everton for his signature. He helped the Reds win the FA Cup and Uefa Cup in his first season at the club.

    An interesting fact about Barmby is that he is one of just nine players to have scored in the Premier League for six different teams with other players being Nicolas Anelka, Craig Bellamy, Darren Bent, Marcus Bent, Andy Cole, Peter Crouch, Les Ferdinand and Robbie Keane.

  5. Peter Beardsley
    Getty

    Peter Beardsley

    Newcastle United legend Peter Beardsley left the club and joined Liverpool in 1987 for a record transfer fee in the English game at that time.

    The forward went on to make 131 appearances for the Reds, scoring 46 goals between 1987 and 1991, winning two First Division titles with the Reds.

    At the age of 30, Beardsley joined Everton in 1991 for a £1 million fee. He went on to score 25 goals in 81 appearances for the Toffees.

  6. Gary Ablett
    Getty Images

    Gary Ablett

    Gary Ablett started his career at academy level at Liverpool and after making 109 senior appearances at Anfield and winning several honours, he moved to Everton in January 1992 after Kenny Dalglish resigned and Graeme Souness joined as manager.

    At Everton, Ablett won the FA Cup in 1995, becoming the only player to win the competition with both Merseyside teams. The defender made 128 league appearances and scored five goals for Everton.

  7. Steve McMahon
    Getty

    Steve McMahon

    The first signing made by Dalglish in his first stint as Liverpool manager in 1985, Steve McMahon replaced Souness at the club.

    McMahon played a crucial role in guiding Liverpool to the League championship and FA Cup glory in his first season at the club.

    Dalglish brought in new signings like John Barnes, Beardsley, John Aldridge and Ray Houghton, but McMahon remained in the manager's first team. The midfielder scored memorable goals against Manchester United and Everton as Liverpool won the 1988 League title.

    In all, McMahon won three league titles, two FA Cup trophies and four FA Charity Shields with Liverpool.

  8. David Johnson

    David Johnson

    Part of Liverpool's golden generation between 1970 and 1980, David Johnson made 148 appearances for the Reds, scoring 55 goals.

    The striker won four First Division titles, two League Cups, three European Cups and a Uefa Super Cup with Liverpool.

    In 1982, he moved to Everton and played for two years across the town, scoring four goals in 40 appearances.

  9. Edgar Chadwick
    Getty Images

    Edgar Chadwick

    One of the finest inside left of the 1890s, Edgar Chadwick enjoyed a long and distinguished career with Everton. Chadwick made 270 appearances for The Toffees, scoring 97 goals.

    When he burst onto the scene in English football, the diminutive attacker was an incredible dribbler with immense tactical knowledge of the game.

    Later in his career in 1902, he made move to Liverpool, making 43 appearances for the Reds, scoring seven goals in a two-year spell.

  10. The rest, from David Murray to Don Hutchison
    Getty

    The rest, from David Murray to Don Hutchison

    Scottish full-back David Murray featured for Everton and Liverpool in back-to-back seasons in 1903-04 and 1904-05, respectively. He went on to serve in the English army during World War 1 and gained martyrdom in the Battle of Loos in 1915 at the age of just 33.

    Abe Hartley played as a striker for Everton between 1892 and 1897 before moving across town to Liverpool. However, he only made seven appearances for the Reds in his only season at the club.

    One of the great dribblers in the late 1860s, Alex Latta scored 70 goals in 148 games for Everton between 1889 and 1895 before joining Liverpool. However, he didn't make a single appearance for the Reds.

    Fred Geary was a prolific goal scorer for Everton the early 1890s. He scored 78 goals in 91 appearances for the Toffees. Renowned journalist David Prentice once described him as "the first Everton centre-forward to capture the imagination of the supporters. In his era, he was as important to Everton as Dean was some years later." Geary ended his career at Liverpool, making 39 appearances and scoring 14 goals for the Reds.

    John Whitehead is a lesser-known name in Merseyside's footballing history. The goalkeeper made just two appearances each for Liverpool and Everton.

    Scottish midfielder Patrick Gordon was playing for Everton before Liverpool signed him in 1893. He featured in Liverpool's first season in the Football League in 1893-93, scoring six goals in 21 games as the Reds went undefeated throughout that season. Gordon mostly played as an outside-right forward.

    Part of Everton's first league title triumph in the 1890-91 season, Duncan McLean was part of the bunch of players who chose to help the establishment of Liverpool Football Club after a rent dispute over Anfield Road saw Everton split into two clubs in 1892. He made 25 appearances for Everton and 73 appearances for Liverpool.

    English Football League winner with Everton in the 1890-91 season, Thomas Wyllie made 20 appearances for the Toffees, scoring five goals from an outside right position. He joined Liverpool in 1892 after the split of the Merseyside clubs.

    1890-91 English league title winner with Everton, Andrew Hannah also joined Liverpool after their split with Everton and in 1892, he became The Reds' first-ever captain. Hannah made 40 appearances for Liverpool at right-back.

    The oldest player to appear in an English Football League match in history at 51 years, Neil McBain arrived at Everton from Manchester United in 1923. He joined Liverpool in 1928.

    One of the greatest Everton players of all time, goalkeeper Billy Scott made 251 appearances for them between 1904 and 1912 before joining Leeds. He then returned to Merseyside in 1914 and played 27 games for Liverpool during the First World War.

    In the late 1970s, Alan Harper started out at Liverpool, the club he supported in his childhood, but he could never make a first-team appearance at the club before former English coach Howard Kendall took him to Everton in the summer of 1983 for £100,000. In his second season at the club, Harper was part of the squad which helped the club achieve the most successful season in their history. Everton won the Championship and Cup Winners' Cup medals that season.

    Kevin Sheedy joined Liverpool in 1978 and could only make three appearances at the club in four years before moving to Everton in 1982. He went on to become one of their greatest midfielders, scoring 67 goals in 274 games, winning the FA Cup, European Cup Winners' Cup and two Football League titles. On international level, Sheedy was the first player to ever score a goal for the Republic of Ireland's national team at a World Cup.

    One of the great Liverpool strikers, David Johnson joined Liverpool from Ipswich Town in 1976. 148 games and 55 goals later, he arrived at Everton in 1982 and went on to feature in 40 games for the Toffees.

    Johnny Morrissey began his career at Liverpool in 1957 and after five seasons of striving to consistently appear in the first team, he made the switch to Everton in 1962, where he made 314 appearances and scored 50 goals in all competitions.

    Boyhood Everton fan, Jimmy Payne started his career with Liverpool as an 18-year-old in 1944. He went on to make 244 appearances at right-wing for the Reds until 1956, after which he moved to his boyhood club Everton. However, just six games into his journey, he suffered multiple injuries which forced him to retire just before his 30th birthday.

    English Football league winner with Liverpool, David Burrows also won the FA Cup with the Reds in his stint at the club between 1988 and 1993. After 146 appearances with Liverpool, he moved to West Ham in 1993 and later, to Everton in 1994. However spent only one season at Goodison Park before moving to Coventry City.

    Don Hutchison joined Liverpool as a 19-year-old in 1990 and made 45 appearances for them in his four-year stint. After multiple other moves, he joined Everton in 1998, making 75 appearances for the Toffees.

    After a two-season stint at Liverpool's academy, Dave Watson joined Norwich in 1980. The centre-back made 212 appearances for Norwich before Everton signed him in 1986. Watson became an integral part of Everton's side throughout the 1990s as he captained the club to a surprise 1-0 win over Manchester United in the FA Cup final in 1995, a game in which he was also judged as man of the match.

    John Gidman featured for Liverpool's youth team and left the club without a senior appearance to join Aston Villa in 1972. After making 197 appearances for the Villains, he joined Everton in 1979 for £650,000.

    Sander Westerveld made 75 appearances for Liverpool between 1999 and 2001 and later in 2006, joined Everton on a loan spell in which he made two appearances.

    Arthur Berry joined Liverpool in 1907 before moving to Fulham in 1909 and Everton in 1910. The right-winger made 29 appearances and scored seven goals Everton in the First Division. He then re-joined Liverpool in 1912.

    Goalkeeper Andy Lonergan is one of those unique players who existed on both Liverpool and Everton's books, but failed to make a single appearance for both clubs.

    English defender Conor Coady started his career at youth level at Liverpool in 2005 and made his first senior appearance for the club in 2012. He joined Sheffield United on loan in 2013 before Huddersfield Town signed him permanently in 2014. A year later, Wolves came calling and signed him for £2 million. Coady made 273 appearances for Wolves before Everton bought him on loan with an option to buy, in August 2022.

    Believe it or not, Bill Lacey is one of those unique players who played in all 11 positions on the football pitch in his career. He arrived at Everton in 1909 and made 37 appearances before joining Liverpool in 1912. After scoring 12 goals in 99 appearances for the Reds, he took a break in 1915 and returned to Anfield in 1919, making 131 appearances in his second stint, scoring six goals.

    Tom Gracie started his career as a footballer and played for Everton for one season (1911-1912) and Liverpool for two seasons (1912-1914), making 46 appearances in total for both clubs. Born in 1889, he joined Scotland's army as a corporal in 1915. Gracie passed away in October of tht year after he was diagnosed with Leukemia.

    After starting off as an amateur with Everton, Jack Balmer was brought to Liverpool by George Patterson who gave him his first professional contract in August 1935. The striker made 289 appearances for the Reds, scoring 98 goals in his 17-year stint at the club.

    Right-back Abel Xavier joined Everton in 1999 for £1.5 million and after three seasons, he joined Liverpool in an £800,000 deal. Xavier scored on his debut for the Reds against Ipswich Town.

    The first footballer to play in all four divisions of English football within the space of 12 months, Tony McNamara started his career at Everton in 1947, making 113 appearances for the club, scoring 22 goals. He joined Liverpool in 1957, but stayed only one season Anfield. He later went on to feature for Crewe Alexandra, Bury and Runcorn.

    John Heydon signed for Liverpool in January 1949 after spending three years in Everton's reserve team. In 1950, he made his first team debut for the Reds. Until the first half of the 1952-53 season, Heydon was a first-team regular at Everton, but then lost his place in the team and was transferred to Millwall in 1953.

    Bill Hartill joined Everton after scoring 162 goals in 221 appearances for Wolves between 1928 and 1935. After making just five appearances for the Toffees, he was transferred to Liverpool in 1936. Hartill's stint at Liverpool comprised just four games over two months before he joined Bristol Rovers in a swap deal for Phil Taylor, who went on to become one of Liverpool's greatest players.

    After progressing through the ranks at Liverpool's academy, Harold Uren featured in their first team in the 1906-07 season. The midfielder became a regular in the Liverpool squad in the 1911-12 season when he made 24 appearances. In the same season, he was transferred to Everton for £300 and two players. Uren played at Everton until 1913. The Liverpool Echo famously reckoned the lack of his success at Liverpool was due to his peculiar playing style and "that the other forwards could not make headway from his ideas."

    Don Sloan featured for Everton between 1906 and 1908 before joining Liverpool for a solitary 1908-09 season. The goalkeeper made just six appearances for both clubs. Solan served as a private in the Black Watch during the First World War and passed away in a skirmish against the Germans in 1917 at the age of 33.

    Goalkeeper Frank Mitchell made 23 appearances for Everton between 1913 to 1920, which included a four-year gap in between due to the First World War. In February 1921, he joined Liverpool and made 18 appearances for them until December 1921.