Liverpool vs. Manchester City: 10 Best Players to Have Represented Both Clubs
Liverpool welcome Manchester City to Anfield on Sunday for what is likely to be one of the most important games in both sides' Premier League seasons.
City will be looking to conquer last season's title rivals in order to gain points on current leaders Chelsea, while Liverpool need to recover from their midweek Europa League exit at the hands of Besiktas by continuing their charge on a top-four placing.
For two very different outfits, Liverpool and City have several similarities, and this is evidenced by the players who have represented both clubs.
Liverpool have three former Citizens in their ranks at present: Mario Balotelli, Kolo Toure and Daniel Sturridge.
But who are the 10 best players to have represented both Liverpool and City?
10. David James
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David James endured a tough start to his tenure at Liverpool after joining as a 21-year-old from Watford in 1992, but he soon challenged Bruce Grobbelaar for the No. 1 shirt.
The goalkeeper went on to make 277 appearances for the Reds before Brad Friedel usurped him between the Anfield sticks.
James moved to Aston Villa and then West Ham United before joining City in 2004, reported by Phil McNulty of BBC Sport.
The imposing shot-stopper made 100 appearances for the Sky Blues.
9. Nicolas Anelka
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Nicolas Anelka made a welcome impact at Liverpool after his 2001 loan signing from Paris Saint-Germain, and he clearly felt the same way, as his words to the club's official website attested.
"It's a long time since I enjoyed myself so much on the pitch. Liverpool is a fantastic club," Anelka claimed, during a season-long spell, which saw him score five times in 22 games.
Instead of signing Anelka on a permanent deal in 2002, however, manager Gerard Houllier plumped for El Hadji Diouf, with the Frenchman moving on to City in a BBC Sport-reported £13 million move.
Anelka scored 38 goals in 89 league games for the Citizens.
8. Kolo Toure
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After making his mark on the Premier League as part of Arsenal's exceptional, unbeaten league-winning side in 2003/04, Toure moved to City in a BBC Sport-reported £14 million deal in 2009.
With City still a burgeoning league force at the time, Toure's experience alongside Vincent Kompany proved vital, and the centre-back experienced Premier League success under Roberto Mancini in the 2011/12 season.
This title-winning nous was integral to Rodgers' free-transfer signing of Toure in 2013 following the retirement of former vice-captain Jamie Carragher.
"One thing he has got is a winning mentality. He has got great belief in what we are doing here," Rodgers professed shortly after Toure's arrival, as reported by Andy Hampson of the Press Association (h/t the Mail).
Toure has so far made 28 league appearances for the Reds, 54 fewer than he made at City.
7. Craig Bellamy
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Perhaps the ultimate journeyman footballer, Craig Bellamy took in spells with Norwich City, Coventry City, Newcastle United, Celtic and Blackburn Rovers before initially landing with the club he supported as a boy, Liverpool, in 2006.
Bellamy lasted just one season for the Reds, however, scoring seven goals in 27 league appearances before making a BBC Sport-reported £7.5 million move to Alan Curbishley's West Ham United.
After a season-and-a-half at West Ham, Bellamy was on the move again, this time in a £14 million move to City, as reported by BBC Sport in 2009.
Despite persistent personnel upheaval at the Manchester club, Bellamy's devastating pace and match-winning ability made him an enduring figure at the Etihad Stadium, and he scored 12 goals in 40 league games for the club.
The Welshman couldn't resist another move once his game time became limited, however, and he returned to Anfield for a season-long spell under Kenny Dalglish in 2011—Bellamy becoming a useful utility man for the returning King.
6. Daniel Sturridge
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Liverpool's current goalscoring phenomenon, Daniel Sturridge was described by Rodgers as on "his last chance" at a major club after his £12 million signing from Chelsea in 2013, according to Andy Hunter of the Guardian.
Having so far scored 33 goals in 50 Premier League appearances for the Anfield club, it could be easily forgotten that Sturridge was once a precocious also-ran at Chelsea and City.
Sturridge came through the City ranks via local clubs Aston Villa and Coventry, as reported by Hunter.
He made just 21 league appearances and scored five goals as a peripheral figure for the Citizens, and Sturridge has seemingly found his home on Merseyside.
5. Steve McMahon
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"When Steve McMahon plays well, I always think that Liverpool will play well," claimed former Reds manager Bob Paisley, as reported by Liverpool's official website.
A former Everton schoolboy, McMahon joined Liverpool from Aston Villa in 1985 and became one of the most influential players in the club's success in the late 1980s through his hard work and sheer tenacity.
McMahon made 277 appearances for Liverpool over a six-year stretch, winning three league championships and two FA Cups.
The midfielder moved to City on Christmas Eve of 1991, and went on to make 89 league appearances for the Sky Blues.
4. Dietmar Hamann
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Dietmar Hamann proved to be one of the most inspired signings of Gerard Houllier's reign as Liverpool manager, joining the Reds from Newcastle in an £8 million deal in 1999.
An uncompromising and intelligent defensive midfielder, Hamann earned his place in the Liverpool midfield through sheer consistent quality and proved invaluable for inheriting manager Rafa Benitez.
Hamann made 283 appearances for the Reds over six seasons, taking in two FA Cup wins, as well as a UEFA Cup, League Cup and, most importantly, played a crucial role in Liverpool's famous 2005 Champions League final comeback victory over AC Milan.
After fading out of the first-team picture under Benitez, Hamann joined City via Bolton Wanderers following one of the briefest spells at a club in football history, as reported by the Guardian's Daniel Taylor.
Hamann made 54 league appearances for the Citizens.
3. Peter Beardsley
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Amid a journeyman career, which took in spells with Vancouver Whitecaps, Carlisle United, Manchester United and a defining time at Newcastle United, Peter Beardsley enjoyed a successful four-year stay with Liverpool between 1987 and 1991.
Signed for £1.9 million from Newcastle, Beardsley went on to make 175 appearances for the Reds, scoring 59 goals.
Beardsley was part of Liverpool's hugely successful side of the late 1980s, experiencing two league title victories, as well as winning the FA Cup in 1989.
The midfielder makes our list due to his 1998 spell with City in the First Division, having joined on loan from Bolton—an ageing Beardsley graced Maine Road for just one month, making six league appearances.
2. Steve McManaman
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Before Inspector Gadget impersonations and angering Celtic manager Ronny Deila, Steve McManaman was one of the most exciting midfielders of the Premier League era for Liverpool.
Joining the Reds as an Everton-supporting 14-year-old in 1987, McManaman made his debut in a 2-0 win over Sheffield United at Anfield three years later.
McManaman went on to score 66 goals in 364 appearances for Liverpool before moving to Real Madrid on a free transfer in 1999.
McManaman moved back to the Premier League for a brief spell with City four years later, making 35 league appearances across two seasons.
Now a pundit with BT Sport, McManaman remains one of the most underrated stars in Premier League history.
1. Robbie Fowler
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Liverpool born and bred, Robbie Fowler is widely considered one of the best strikers in the club's history, scoring a phenomenal 183 goals in 369 games for the club over two spells.
Labelled "God" by adoring Reds fans, Fowler's initial 2001 departure, to Leeds United, was a sad day for many of the Liverpool faithful.
After two seasons with Leeds, Fowler made the move to join former Red Kevin Keegan at City in a £6 million deal, as reported by BBC Sport.
Fowler scored 20 goals in 80 league appearances for City before Benitez sanctioned an unexpected, fairy-tale return to Merseyside for the striker in 2006.
"Leaving was probably one of my biggest regrets I have had in football," Fowler claimed on his arrival, according to BBC Sport. "I can't really believe it's happened again so I'm ecstatic to be honest."
Statistics via LFCHistory.net and Soccerbase.com.
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