With just a 20 minute or so walk separating Anfield from Goodison Park, it’s a wonder that not every Merseyside based player switches between the two clubs more frequently.
What, is there some sort of rivalry in the way or something?
While not always the closest on the pitch, the rivalry between Liverpool and Everton is intense and fierce, and always will be with the two grounds situated so close to one another, and the clubs meaning so much to the locals. The following players have turned out for both sides, and happen to be a list of particularly brave individuals.
A period well before the modern game, Chadwick was an Everton hero in its earliest form.
11 years with the Toffees saw him build up an esteemed reputation as one of the game’s finest attackers and won the top flight with them in 1891. A move to Liverpool in 1902 was a rather quiet two year spell after transferring from Burnley.
After initially moving down to England with West Brom but failing to settle, Scottish right back Hannah tried again with Everton in 1899.
He was ever-present in the Everton side that finished runners up in 1890 and impressed again as they went one better a year later, captaining the side as they won the league. He moved to Liverpool in 1892 after a brief third stint back in Scotland, with the new Merseyside club luring him in for three seasons.
Scottish forward Wylie developed a habit of scoring goals at a regional level.
After success with Everton, Wylie moved to new club Liverpool and would feature regularly for them as they climbed up the divisions.
Another Scot venturing down into the North of England, McLean was picked up by Everton and grew into the side after playing a bit part role in his debut season.
He was another who stayed at Anfield and turned out for newly formed Liverpool in 1892 following Everton’s walk away from the ground.
While plenty stayed at Anfield and signed for Liverpool straight away, Patrick Gordon moved with Everton for another season before moving to the Reds.
Gordon was a part of the Liverpool side that won its first title.
A local lad that started with Bootle, Whitehead only spent a year with Everton before signing on to play for Liverpool.
Little else is known about the goalkeeper’s career.
A centre forward with no hesitation over scoring goals, Geary was playing for Everton and later Liverpool when not scoring hat-tricks on his England debut.
Geary was integral up top as Everton won the First Division in 1891 and is deemed by supporters as the first real icon they had; the Dixie Dean before he came to be.
Another talent brought down from Scotland, Latta was the outside right forward deployed as Everton won the league in 1891.
His career wrapped up with the new crosstown rivals, spending a year with Liverpool before his retirement.
Starting out in Dumbarton, Hartley really got around the Football League in the early 20th century.
Aside from spells with Everton – where he was a runner up in the 1987 FA Cup – and Liverpool, Hartley also turned out for Southampton, Arsenal and Burnley. A journeyman ahead of his time.
Moving down from Scotland, Murray only turned out twice in the league for Everton before moving onto Liverpool in 1904.
He won back-to-back Second Division and First Division titles with the club – despite not featuring all that much in the second season – but was tragically killed when serving in the First World War in 1915.
One half of an Irish goalkeeping brothers duo, Scott enjoyed a storied career with Everton and represented them in 251 league outings, before moving on in 1912.
He spent two years with Liverpool, whom he encouraged to sign his younger brother Elisha; perhaps his best contribution to the club.
Not only did Berry represent both Liverpool and Everton and shift the tide in terms of players beginning with Liverpool, but his excellence went beyond league football.
He represented Great Britain at the 1908 and 1912 Olympics, winning gold at both events, before retiring in 1914 to become a barrister.
Scottish goalkeeper Sloan moved to Everton in 1906 after impressing in the Scottish and Irish leagues.
Two years with Everton and a year with Liverpool was his football career high, before moving back to Distillery and eventually serving in the war. He was killed in 1917.
A speedy winger by trade, Uren signed on amateur terms with Liverpool in 1906 before slowly working his way into the first team and becoming a regular.
Liverpool sold him to Everton in 1913 for £300 and two players; Tom Gracie and Bill Lacey.
Rising to prominence in Ireland for his commendable versatility on the pitch, Everton signed Lacey in 1909 but was quickly snapped up by Liverpool in the exchange deal.
Lacey enjoyed a fine career with the Reds and made hundreds of appearances before and after the war, returning to Ireland in between for guest appearances.
While the swap deal proved fruitful for Lacey, moving to Liverpool didn’t bare the same fortunes for Gracie.
Picked up by Everton by making the Scotland squad for a friendly against England, he was included in the swap but moved back to Scotland in 1914. He balanced a rich vein of form with serving in the war, but died of leukaemia in 1915.
Mitchell moved down from Scotland to sign for Everton and stuck with them throughout the war, but never became the established number one goalkeeper at any point.
He moved across town to Liverpool in 1921 but again couldn’t get in regularly over the highly thought of Elisha Scott.
Not unusual for the time, but completely baffling to look back on, Baker was more than a footballer. Like, so much more.
Baker competed for Great Britain in high jump events at the Olympics, while also competing regularly in long jump, hurdles and tennis. In football, he started outfield, but became a goalkeeper following an injury in World War One. After playing just about every sport fathomable, he retired and went into business.
Forshaw remains the only player in history to have won league titles with both Liverpool and Everton.
He signed professional terms with Liverpool in 1919 and enjoyed a fine stint as a regular goal getter. He moved to Everton in 1927 and helped them along to a First Division win, too.
At 51 years old, McBain remains the oldest player to turn out in the English Football League. Don’t expect that to change anytime soon.
After serving in World War One, he got a break in England with Manchester United, before moving to Everton in 1923. After returning to Scotland, a 1928 move to Liverpool was unfortunately short lived.
While rivalries were still nowhere near as fierce as they are now, football becoming more popular meant switching between rival sides would become gradually less frequent.
Johnson – an electric forward who ripped it up for Manchester City – moved to Everton and played alongside the legendary Dixie Dean. Always overshadowed, a move to Liverpool in 1934 helped them avoid relegation.
A local lad from West Derby, Balmer was signed to Everton on amateur terms, but was poached by Liverpool as a teenager in 1935.
Balmer was a prodigy before the Second World War, and played again for Liverpool afterwards as a more well rounded striker. 111 goals came from his 312 appearances.
Harthill was given the name ‘Artillery’ for his service as a bombardier after leaving school. It does not get cooler than that.
While he turned out for both Merseyside clubs, he had little fortune with either of them. Instead, Harthill’s career high was his spell with Wolves before moving to Everton.
Heydon spent three years honing his craft in Everton’s reserve setup as a teenager, before being signed by Liverpool aged 20 in 1949.
It took him a short while to break in, but Heydon then enjoyed a run as a regular before moving on again in 1953.
Officially beyond the Second World War, football began to stride into a new wave of popularity and prowess.
McNamara’s decade long stint with Everton was a commendable feat and the best years of his career. While his venture across Stanley Park was short, it lead to him becoming the only player to play in all four English divisions within 12 months. He passed away in 2015.
Growing up an Everton fan wasn’t enough to stop Payne signing terms with Liverpool as an 18-year-old.
It proved the right decision. Payne became a regular fixture for the Reds as a tricky winger, but could only come away with the honour of being runners up in the 1950 FA Cup before moving to Everton for a season.
Dave Hickson simply just couldn’t get enough of the Ev.
Signing in 1948 but not debuting for three years due to national service, Hickson flew for the Toffees. An aggressive and physical striker, he bagged goals for fun as the target man, but his 1959 move to Liverpool wasn’t a popular one among fans. We’re heading into the rock ‘n roll years, remember?
Coming up through the Liverpool academy from a young age, failure to nail down a spot saw Morrissey head across Stanley Park to join Everton in 1962.
He scored in the first Merseyside derby for 11 seasons and fired Everton to a First Division title in his maiden season. That electric start turned into a decade of service for the Toffees, before finishing up with Oldham Athletic.
Switching between the two sides was now becoming less frequent with the history built and the rivalries growing more passionate.
Liverpool had an eye on Johnson from young, but despite Bill Shankly’s best efforts, they couldn’t stop him debuting with the Toffees. He eventually arrived via Ipswich as a seasoned striker and racked up a fine cabinet of domestic and European honours, before returning to the Toffees later on.
Capped 46 times by the Republic of Ireland and scoring their first ever goal at a World Cup finals, Sheedy had a tough start in Liverpool.
He barely featured in a four year spell and was allowed to leave for Everton, where the midfielder found his feet. Sheedy was integral in Everton’s last true golden era, picking up two league titles and a European Cup Winners’ Cup.
Strolling around and bossing midfields in those endlessly short shorts of the 80s, Steve McMahon’s best stuff came with the Reds.
Despite being at Everton from as early as ball-boy level, he found his way to Liverpool where he was key in winning three league titles and two FA Cups.
For a man who set a record transfer fee in 1987, Beardsley’s journeyman-like career has taken him everywhere.
From Canada to Newcastle, Beardsley was electric for Liverpool in their final few years of success before the Premier League era. They sold him aged 30 to rivals Everton in 1991, where his impact was rather muted.
Seven years with Liverpool and a hoarding of trophies included defender Ablett winning the 1989 FA Cup against Everton.
That wasn’t enough, though, and following his transfer, Ablett won the FA Cup with the Toffees upon his arrival, making him the only player to date to have won the cup with both teams. He passed away in 2012 following a battle with non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.
Your dad’s favourite attacking midfielder, Barmby enjoyed a fine four years at Everton as a big fish in what had become a rather small pond.
Barmby excelled for the mid-table outfit, so much so that it forced the Toffees into selling a player to Liverpool for the first time since Dave Hickson’s move in 1959.
After moving around Europe to moderate degrees of success, Everton snapped up Xavier for a £1.5m fee in 1999.
The defender impressed and controversially made the move across the park for a lesser transfer fee in 2002 after eyeing improved terms with his contract running down. His move to the Reds didn’t work, however, and he was gone by 2003.