‘I was Everton’s record transfer – if I'd left them for Liverpool I would've been killed'

Tony Cottee joined Everton successful 1988 and claimed helium wouldn't person dared stray crossed the Merseyside disagreement to articulation Liverpool had they person expressed a privation to motion him

Former Everton striker Tony Cottee thinks helium would person been "murdered" if helium had made the arguable determination from the Blues to Liverpool.

Cottee concisely held the rubric of Britain's astir costly subordinate erstwhile helium signed for Everton successful August 1988. He yet became a instrumentality favourite astatine Goodison Park, peculiarly aft scoring doubly against Liverpool successful an FA Cup replay successful 1991.

The erstwhile West Ham guardant spent six years astatine Goodison Park. Despite being linked with respective clubs during his clip astatine Everton, Cottee has said that helium ne'er erstwhile considered crossing Stanley Park to articulation the Reds.

"Not portion I was astatine Everton. Imagine if I near Everton and went to Liverpool; I would person been lynched oregon murdered, I think," helium said.

"I was linked with Arsenal. I was linked with Glasgow Rangers, who were a large nine backmost successful the '80s. I got linked with Tottenham erstwhile I was astatine Everton. I got linked with Crystal Palace. There are truthful galore antithetic clubs.

"I don't retrieve being linked with Liverpool. And I deliberation with the rivalry, which is evidently inactive successful play, erstwhile you play for Everton [you can't switch]."

"A batch of it is conscionable hearsay. You inactive get it present with the transportation window. If you're a bully subordinate and scoring goals, you're going to get linked with different clubs. I conscionable utilized to instrumentality it arsenic a compliment. If I'm being linked with different clubs, that means you're doing well. Particularly successful my archetypal spell astatine West Ham, I was getting linked and evidently went connected to go the grounds signing," helium added, exclusively via BetSelect.

Everton big Liverpool connected Wednesday evening successful what volition beryllium the last Merseyside Derby to instrumentality spot astatine Goodison Park, with the nine acceptable to determination successful to their caller stadium connected Bramley-Moore Dock for the commencement of adjacent season, arsenic per the Liverpool Echo.

With the Reds gunning for Premier League glory nether Arne Slot and the hosts undergoing a revival nether the returning David Moyes, it's expected to beryllium a thrilling affair. Liverpool tin spell 9 points wide implicit second-placed Arsenal if they assertion 3 points astatine Goodison, yet Cottee volition beryllium hoping the Toffees tin harm their rivals' rubric aspirations arsenic a self-professed Blue.

"I'm an Evertonian now," helium said. "The thought of Liverpool winning the league is not thing that fills maine with happiness, but we've got to judge they are a fantastic squad astatine the moment."

Cottee enjoyed a storied career, making 184 league appearances for Everton and netting 76 goals. He went connected to person stints with West Ham, Leicester City, Selangor successful Malaysia, Birmingham City, Norwich City, Barnet, and Millwall earlier hanging up his boots successful 2001 to go a pundit.

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