Avid soccer fans, Rory McIlroy and Tyrrell Hatton were in attendance at Anfield on Sunday for the world-famous Liverpool versus Manchester United fixture in the Premier League.
McIlroy is a boyhood Man United supporter while Ryder Cup teammate Hatton has followed Liverpool since he was young. The pair were invited along with the Ryder Cup trophy at the weekend, months after they helped defeat Team USA 16.5 - 11.5 at Marco Simone.
Ahead of kick-off, two of Sky Sports' leading pundits - Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville, both former players of Liverpool and United, respectively - asked the two golfers for their views on the upcoming match.
Unlike McIlroy, Manchester United had struggled to find a consistent level of form in recent months and began the match eighth in the 20-team table.
Asked by Neville if McIlroy held any hope of a win for his club against their great historic rivals, who remain in the Premier League title race, the Northern Irishman said: "I think so. You're just looking for a spark, right? You're just looking for something to get the team going.
"Whether it happens today or maybe somewhere down the line, you need to have hope. You need to have hope and feel like you can turn things around. Tyrrell and I have been through that in golf, and anyone who's played sport at a high level [knows] you go through some of these dips in confidence. All you need is one little spark to get you going again, so hopefully that's today for United."
"They haven't got a clue what they want" 😂Tyrrell Hatton and @Carra23 🆚 Rory McIlroy and @GNev2 ahead of Liverpool vs Man United... pic.twitter.com/MJ20eCnwU9December 17, 2023
Meanwhile, Hatton's team turned up at Anfield knowing they could once again move to the top of the Premier League with a win - a result they had managed in four of their previous five domestic matches under manager Jurgen Klopp.
Holding the Ryder Cup in his arms, Hatton responded to Carragher's question about what he expected to happen. The professional golfer said: "I think we've got good reason to feel confident - certainly a lot more confident than these guys! I'm hoping for a big win this afternoon."
Hatton went on to reveal that the last time he watched Liverpool in person, they beat Spanish giants Barcelona 4-0 to overturn a first-leg deficit in the Champions League. McIlroy, on the other hand, last saw United play away against Liverpool in 2007 when a John O'Shea goal helped Sir Alex Ferguson's team win 1-0 late on.
The Ryder Cup pair's appearance at their favorite team's match follows on from Jon Rahm taking the ceremonial kick-off at his beloved Athletic Club's 2-0 victory over Atletico Madrid on Saturday.
McIlroy and Shane Lowry had also watched Ireland's rugby union team at the World Cup in France shortly before Team Europe's success in October.
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