Crossing the Divide: Players That Have Played for Both Liverpool and Everton

It’s generally accepted that if you have a personal allegiance to a football club, you don’t then go and get involved with their bitter rivals in either a playing or coaching capacity.

But, occasionally, those rules go out of the window, with the fierce rivalry between Liverpool and Everton put to the test this summer.

John Heitinga, the Dutch defender turned coach, is the latest to cross the Merseyside divide. He played 140 times for the Toffees, and after hanging up his boots has forged a successful career as a backroom staff member – his stint with West Ham coming to an end when David Moyes was sacked at the end of the season.

Now, Heitinga has been appointed as assistant coach at Liverpool by Arne Slot, despite once declaring his support for Everton ahead of the Merseyside derby in 2016 – ‘once a Blue, always a Blue,’ he wrote on Twitter.

And there’s another whose allegiance to Everton could be tested. Anthony Gordon has readily admitted that he had an affinity for Liverpool growing up, citing Steven Gerrard as his favourite player.

Gordon was released by the Reds’ academy aged just eleven, but he was picked up by Everton and remained at the club for more than a decade, making 78 appearances for the first team.

The rumour mill suggests that Liverpool are interested in signing Gordon from Newcastle United, so it will be interesting to see if the winger’s previous employment at Everton trumps his wish to play at Anfield or not.

If Gordon does make the move to the red side of Merseyside, he wouldn’t be the first player to cross the divide….

Peter Beardsley

Revered by both sets of supporters, Peter Beardsley is one of the few players that crossed the divide and retained the admiration of Liverpool and Everton fans.

He joined the Reds in 1987, and his creative talent and eye for goal soon saw him become the perfect foil for Ian Rush in attack – together, they helped Liverpool to two First Division titles and an FA Cup.

After 175 appearances and 61 goals, Beardsley was moved on by Graeme Souness and immediately joined Everton in time for the 1991/92 season.

Beardsley, along with David Johnson, shares the unique distinction of scoring in the Merseyside derby for both clubs – even so, he remains fondly remembered at Anfield and Goodison Park.

Steve McMahon

The tenacious midfielder enjoys the unique distinction of having played 100+ games for both Liverpool and Everton.

McMahon’s first footballing love was Everton, where he appeared as a ball boy and then as a first-team player, making his debut at the age of 18. So fearsome was McMahon that he was made Toffees captain in his early twenties, going on to play in exactly 100 games.

The midfielder then moved on to Aston Villa, before becoming Kenny Dalglish’s first signing as Liverpool manager in 1985.

McMahon would become a pivotal figure in the Reds’ subsequent success, winning three First Division titles and two FA Cups while at Anfield. He was also named in the PFA Team of the Year twice.

David Johnson

David Johnson was unique in that he had two spells at Everton, which acted as the bread of a sandwich in which the filling was a silverware-laden spell at Liverpool.

The young Johnson came through the youth ranks at Everton, where he broke through into the first team and made 49 appearances. So enamoured was then Liverpool boss Bill Shankly with the forward, he made more than one phone call to Toffees manager Harry Catterick in a bid to sign Johnson – he was rebuffed each time.

A spell at Ipswich Town saw Johnson score in the UEFA Cup and cement his burgeoning reputation, before Liverpool were moved to sign the striker for a then club record of £200,000 in 1976.

Johnson proved to be worth every penny. A clever striker that would often drop into the number ten role, he formed outstanding partnerships with both Kevin Keegan and Kenny Dalglish, scoring 55 goals himself and playing a part in four First Division title wins.

He would also play his part in three European Cup triumphs with the Reds, and alongside Beardsley holds the unique distinction of scoring in the Merseyside derby for both Liverpool and Everton.

Gary Ablett

Those who played with him say that Gary Ablett was a criminally underrated defender – although he did play more than 100 games for both Liverpool and Everton.

Handed his first-team debut by Dalglish, Ablett would play 147 times for Liverpool, winning two First Division titles and the FA Cup.

After switching to Everton, Ablett would achieve a unique slice of footballing history when he became the first player to win the FA Cup with both Merseyside clubs.