Peter Beardsley. Nick Barmby. Kevin Sheedy.
All of the above know what it's like to have played on both sides of Stanley Park. Its a phenomenon rarely encountered in the modern men's game, with the widening chasm in the fortunes Liverpool and Everton on the pitch seemingly correlating with the acute hostilities off it.
In the women's game, crossing that city divide is a little more common; something which can perhaps be attributed to the fact there are just 12 clubs for players to move between in the Women's Super League. However, while the rivalry between Liverpool and Everton Women may not be as acrimonious or deep-rooted as the one fostered by their male counterparts, the desire to come out on top in the Merseyside derby is no less great.
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"This game means a lot," said Taylor Hinds, who joined the Reds from Everton in 2020. "Its a big game and we know what it means to the fans."
Hinds made 30 appearances for Everton after arriving from Arsenal in 2018, making her debut for the Blues in an FA Cup fourth-round victory over Bristol City. Since making the switch to the Reds almost three years ago, the defender has established herself as one of the linchpins of the squad, and played an integral part in their promotion from the Championship last season.
If Liverpool captain Niamh Fahey fails to recover from a calf injury in time for Friday's Merseyside derby, it will more than likely be Hinds who leads the team out at Goodison Park. But, while the 23-year-old will be lining up opposite a number of friends and ex-team-mates, she insists there will be no room for sentimentality in when she takes to the field against her former club.
"My focus is fully where I am now and the club I’m at now," she told the ECHO. "Everton is in the past. I do still have friends at the club but everyone’s got friends in football.
"You just have to put that aside when you step out onto the pitch, especially in the Merseyside derby. They’re our rivals so obviously we want to get back at them for what happened in the last game."
The 'last game' Hinds is referring to is Everton's 3-0 victory at Anfield back in September. Goals from Megan Finnigan, Jess Park and Hanna Bennison ensured Liverpool were comprehensively beaten in front of a crowd of more than 27,000, and that result only serves to fuel the Reds' desire to get the better of their local rivals when the two sides meet again in L4 on Friday.
"We were really disappointed in ourselves with that performance so hopefully we can come back and show more fight this time," Hinds said. "I can’t wait to play at Goodison. At Anfield, it was amazing to see all of the fans and see our families and friends there too.
"These are the kind of games you want to play in - derbies in big stadiums - and it’s a good opportunity for us to show what we can do. The fans are unbelievable and we had a good turnout last time so hopefully we’ll get another good turnout and the win as well."
"You could feel it last time in the game, the rivalry between the two clubs," she added. "There was a lot of determination and fight on both sides, on and off the pitch.
"Even my good friends I have at Everton, I don’t think I spoke to them leading up to the game. A derby is a real fight and we’re going to have to show that if we want to get the three points."
Its been a turbulent first season back in the top-flight for Liverpool. The loss of last season's top-scorer Leanne Kiernan to injury in the opening day victory over Chelsea set an ominous tone for a campaign that has seen numerous key players consigned to the treatment table.
Defeat to bottom-of-the-league Leicester City in February sparked concern that Matt Beard's side may find themselves drawn into another relegation dogfight. But an impressive win over Tottenham Hotspur last time out means the Reds now look almost certain to retain their WSL status.
"We knew it was going to be difficult coming into this league and we know the quality gets better and better every season," Hinds admitted. "We knew it was going to be a challenge and it's been a bit of a rollercoaster season and we haven’t had the best of luck with injuries but we’ve stuck together and we’re taking every game as it comes.
"We’re just trying not to put too much pressure on ourselves and just play football and get back into the rhythm of this league. Sticking together is a big part of our philosophy and how we are as a team and a club.
"We go into every game wanting to win and get the three points and we've been a bit unfortunate in some games, especially against Leicester. It was a really nice feeling getting the win over Tottenham and the only way is up from here really. It gives everyone that motivation and that positivity going into the rest of the season."
Everton and Liverpool will face off in the WSL Merseyside derby at Goodison Park at 7.30pm on Friday March 24. Tickets are now on general sale. You can find out more here.
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