The beautiful game evokes all sorts of emotions in people, and none more so when it comes to intense local rivalries. One of the most fierce rivalries in English football is the one that exists on Merseyside, where two of the country’s most historic football clubs, Everton and Liverpool, reside.
Over the years, a group of players have braved the wrath of one of the Merseyside club’s fans by joining their rivals. Here are just some examples of players who have played for both Merseyside giants:
Dave Hickson (Everton 243 appearances, Liverpool 67 appearances)
He left Everton in 1955, enjoying spells at Aston Villa and Huddersfield Town. The call of Merseyside was too much for the striker, and he re-joined Everton in 1955 and stayed until 1957, scoring 32 goals in 82 appearances.
His next move was a controversial one, as he joined Merseyside rivals Liverpool in 1957. He was loved by the blue half of Merseyside and equalled loathed by their rival fans.
Liverpool fans’ minds were quickly changed, though, as Hickson went on to score 37 league goals for the Reds, with some of the forward’s goals helping Bill Shankly’s team to promotion back to the top tier.
Hickson was well-regarded by both sets of fans on Merseyside. After retiring, he went on to work as a tour guide on tours of Everton’s Goodison Park.
David Johnson (Everton 92 appearances. Liverpool: 213 appearances)
The Liverpool-born forward started his professional career at Everton in 1969 and played for the Toffees until 1972, making 92 appearances. After a successful four seasons at Ipswich, Johnson returned to Merseyside, but this time to join Liverpool in 1976.
He played for the Reds until 1982, making 213 appearances in all competitions, including 148 in the league, and scoring a highly respectable 55 goals. During his time with Liverpool, he won the top-flight title four times and the European Cup three times.
Johnson re-joined Everton in 1982 but scored just four goals in 40 league appearances. His struggle for goals saw Johnson loaned out to Barnsley for the second half of the 1983/84 season. He left permanently for Manchester City in 1984, missing the trophy-laden period under Howard Kendall in the 1980s.
When he retired, Johnson worked in the hospitality lounges at Anfield and also as a summariser for Liverpool games on Radio Merseyside.
Steve McMahon (Everton 119 appearances. Liverpool: 277 appearances)
The boyhood Everton fan and former Goodison Park ball boy lived out the dream of many Toffees fans by playing for the club. His Everton career lasted from 1979 until 1983, which saw him make 100 appearances for the Blues and score 11 goals.
He joined Aston Villa in 1983, and two years later, he was on the move again to Aston Villa. In 1985, he joined Liverpool, where he stayed until 1991, making 204 league appearances and scoring 34 goals for the club. His first goal came against his former employers.
McMahon enjoyed a trophy-laden career at Liverpool, winning the First Division title on three occasions and the FA Cup twice.
Peter Beardsley (Liverpool: 175 appearances. Everton: 95 appearances)
Although born in Newcastle, Beardsley is that rare player who became a hero on both sides of Stanley Park. The forward joined Liverpool in 1987 from boyhood love Newcastle United.
His four-stint with the Reds saw him pick up two First Division title-winning medals and also an FA Cup winners medal.
Beardsley made the move to Everton in 1991, aged 30. He spent two years with the Toffees, making 95 appearances in all competitions, scoring 32 goals. He also became only the second player behind David Johnson to have scored in Merseyside derbies for both teams.
Kevin Sheedy (Liverpool, 5 appearances. Everton, 356 appearances)
Now considered an Everton legend, the former Republic of Ireland star first arrived on Merseyside at Liverpool in 1978 from Hereford United. He made just five appearances in all competitions for the Reds before Everton boss Howard Kendall plucked him out of the Liverpool reserves in 1982.
Sheedy turned out to be an inspired signing, as he went on to make 356 appearances for the Blues while scoring 97 goals from midfield. He was part of Kendall’s team that won the first division title twice in the mid-80s, the FA Cup in 1984, and the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1985.
The former midfielder’s career at Everton lasted until 1992 when he joined Newcastle United 1992, who he helped win promotion back to the top-tier of English football in his sole season with the north east club. He ended his career with a one-year stint at Blackpool before retiring.
After retiring, Sheedy held various backroom roles at Everton, including coaching the club’s academy teams.
Gary Ablett (Liverpool, 147 appearances. Everton, 156 appearances)
During his career with Liverpool, the defender won the English top-flight title twice and the FA Cup. In 1992, Ablett joined Everton. During his four-year career there, he became the first player to win the FA Cup with both Merseyside teams, as the Toffees beat Manchester United 1-0 at Wembley in the 1995 final.
After retiring, Ablett worked in the youth set-ups of both Merseyside clubs. Tragically, in 2012, he passed away at the age of just 46, having suffered from non-Hodgkin lymphoma for 16 months.
Both sets of fans on Merseyside highly regard the defender for his efforts while playing for their clubs.