'I played in the Merseyside derby - this is why it's the most intense clash I've been in'

Former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore has opened up connected the astir aggravated rivalries that helium was a portion of during his playing days, up of the latest instalment of the Merseyside Derby

Stan Collymore has nary doubts that the Merseyside Derby tops the database of aggravated rivalries he's experienced.

As Everton cogwheel up to invited Liverpool to Goodison Park this Wednesday, the ex-Reds guardant reminisced astir his clip connected the transportation during specified fierce encounters. Speaking via William Hill, Collymore didn't hesitate to azygous retired the Merseyside Derby arsenic the pinnacle of heated matches - particularly fixed the divided loyalties among galore Liverpudlian families.

He said: "I deliberation the Merseyside Derby [is the astir intense] - I played astatine 1 successful Goodison and it was conscionable breathless. I retrieve it truly well. I deliberation we drew 1-1 and I got an assistance for Robbie Fowler successful the past infinitesimal - we were 1-0 down. And it was proper, benignant of... I mean, the Premier League is accelerated arsenic it is, but past you adhd a derby into the mix.

"I played successful Bradford vs Leeds derbies - didn't play successful a Villa vs Birmingham derby but played Villa vs West Brom, Villa vs Wolves. East Midlands derbies... Forest against Derby, that was precise aggravated arsenic well. But I deliberation the Merseyside Derby due to the fact that of the benignant of familial links.

"There are radical successful families that are divided by Red and Blue, but that crippled astatine Goodison springs to caput due to the fact that it was just... You conscionable couldn't person 2 seconds connected the ball. Everything was tackles going in, it was wet, it was muddy. And similar I say, we ended up getting a 1-1 draw, truthful without a doubt, my astir aggravated acquisition of a derby was Everton against Liverpool astatine Goodison," reports the Liverpool Echo.

The lucifer Collymore was referring to unfolded astatine Goodison Park successful April 1996, with a afloat location of 40,120 spectators. Andrei Kanchelskis broke the deadlock for the location broadside 18 minutes into the crippled erstwhile a almighty footwear from Neville Southall travelled each the mode into Liverpool's container owed to the slippery pitch.

David James misjudged his collection, leaving John Ebbrell with a wide changeable connected goal, albeit from a choky angle. The striker's effort ricocheted disconnected the station and fell to Kanchelskis, who blasted it into an unguarded net, triggering chaotic celebrations among the location fans.

However, Fowler levelled the people for the Reds with conscionable 3 minutes of regular clip remaining, aft Collymore delivered a transverse from the near flank - ensuring Liverpool returned from the abbreviated travel with a point. Now, Everton are gearing up to big Liverpool successful the archetypal Merseyside derby of the 2024/25 season.

The lucifer was primitively scheduled for aboriginal December but was postponed owed to hazardous conditions caused by Storm Darragh. Liverpool volition beryllium aiming to proceed their awesome Premier League signifier erstwhile they sojourn Goodison, having stumbled lone erstwhile successful a 1-0 decision to Nottingham Forest successful September.

Boasting 17 victories and 5 draws, the Reds are aiming to widen their six-point pb implicit Arsenal astatine the apical of the Premier League standings. However, they'll beryllium up against a revitalised Everton nether David Moyes successful the final derby astatine Goodison.

Everton are presently 16th, 9 points distant from the relegation zone, having secured conscionable six wins from 23 matches this season. However, things look to beryllium gradually improving for Moyes, who has already equalled Sean Dyche's triumph grounds with triumphs implicit Spurs, Brighton and Leicester.

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