This was the night the mask slipped and no-one can doubt it anymore.
Roy Keane loves Liverpool. Gary Neville loves Liverpool. And whisper it quietly…Liverpool loves them.
Granted, there were playful pantomime boos for both men when they emerged for The Overlap Live. The same was true for Jamie Carragher as Evertonians in the audience made their feelings known.
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But what followed was a fine evening’s entertainment of sharp wit, football wisdom and genuine warmth for the city they were visiting.
Neville may have claimed he needed a passport to travel beyond enemy lines from Manchester.
Yet the former United full-back was given the first three huge ovations of the show.
One came for an impassioned message over Liverpool’s resilience in campaigning for Hillsborough justice - “the people are the strongest part of this city” - before more followed for insisting Everton would stay up and Newcastle wouldn’t finish in the top four.
Carragher provided a brilliant blend of insights, anecdotes and digs.
Neville was naturally on the receiving end on multiple occasions. When he revealed his surprise that Liver Birds don’t actually exist, Carra shot back: “Every bird to him is mythical!”
Man of the match, however, went to Keane.
Relaxed and deadpan, the Old Trafford legend delivered plenty of dressing room tales and big laughs. As Carragher put it after one wisecrack from Keane: “John Bishop must be s****ing himself”.
All three performances ensured a seamless transition from the Sky Sports studio to the touring stage…with some of the stories and language that daytime schedules don’t allow.
Kelly Cates and Josh Denzel did a great hosting job to keep the fun flowing, with a discussion format in the first half followed by a quickfire Q&A after the break.
Added extras of impressionist Darren Farley and Scouse musician Jamie Webster offered a jovial start and a rousing finale.
At a time when football discourse on social media can easily descend into toxicity between rivals or even among a single fanbase, The Overlap Live was a refreshing change.
Sir Kenny Dalglish made a special guest appearance on the night and summed it up succinctly: “Rivalry is essential but hatred isn’t essential”.
In that way Carragher, Neville and Keane are the perfect hat-trick.
They were elite players and they are now prominent pundits. But the reason arena crowds will continue to sell out, listen and applaud is that deep down, they are also passionate fans of the game just like the rest of us.
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