Liverpool and Manchester United have had some of the best players in history come through their ranks, which makes it difficult to choose a combined starting XI.
The Reds host United at Anfield on Sunday afternoon, following a run of three defeats in a row before the international break began, in a fixture which is of the utmost importance to both sets of fans.
This game has been made so important not just by the historical contexts that shape it from a social or sporting perspective, but also because of the players who have graced the fixture over the years.
From Kenny Dalglish to Steven Gerrard and George Best to Paul Scholes, there is an abundance of legends to choose from both teams to make an XI, and it was a challenge that Nicky Butt himself found tricky.
A part of the Class of 92, the former Red Devils midfielder was a stalwart of the early 90s and 2000s team under Sir Alex Ferguson, playing Liverpool on multiple occasions in the fixtures which made this rivalry what it is.
Nicky Butt chooses Sadio Mane over Ryan Giggs in combined XI
When asked by The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast to choose from a selection of players from both clubs’ past and present, Butt found himself choosing some very interesting stars over former teammates.
There were some obvious picks where the 50-year-old did not hesitate as he chose Peter Schmeichel, Rio Ferdinand, and Denis Irwin, but before snubbing Virgil van Dijk for Jaap Stam, he did think about it.
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On that pick, he reasoned: “Oh. Only because I picked Rio, the clash of the styles, I’d go with Jaap.”
For the Reds, he picked some other more natural picks like Trent Alexander-Arnold over Gary Neville, Xabi Alonso, but it was his decision on the left wing that was the most surprising of the lot.
Butt, without a delay, chose Sadio Mane to play on the left wing over his old teammate Ryan Giggs.
The Senegalese winger used to light up the left-hand side of the Reds’ attack under Jurgen Klopp, alongside his two teammates, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino, in their infamous trio.
Sadio Mane exceeded Ryan Giggs’ Premier League goal tally in less games
While the Welshman was a great player, many Liverpool fans would agree that Mane was an exceptional player down the left and would be the natural choice over Giggs.
Even the statistics would show this, given that Mane, in his Premier League career, scored 111 goals in 263 matches, more than the Welsh player (109).
What was more impressive was that he did it across two clubs and in over 300 fewer appearances.
It is nice to see the player get respect in those kinds of debates, especially from a former teammate of Giggs.
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