One of the few players to wear the colours of both Liverpool and Manchester United was made well aware of the differing approaches taken by the two sets of supporters
Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Ince once criticised the club’s supporters for their treatment of him after he joined Liverpool. Meanwhile, he praised the Anfield faithful for their contrasting response following his departure from Merseyside.
The 58-year-old eventually moved to Wolves, who travel to Anfield in their battle against Premier League relegation on Saturday. And there’s a stark difference between his relationship with Liverpool’s supporters compared to those at Old Trafford.
The ex-England international, who has previously taken aim at United fans, is believed to have fallen out with Sir Alex Ferguson before joining Inter Milan in 1995. However, much of the animosity from United supporters stems from the fact ‘The Guv’nor’ later signed for bitter rivals Liverpool.
Ince captained Middlesbrough against United and subsequently wore the armband for Wolves during future returns to Old Trafford over the years. While he’s maintained a positive relationship with Liverpool’s fanbase, the same cannot be said for those in Manchester.
“I get a lot of grief from Manchester United fans and I can’t understand it,” he said back in 2002. “They should remember I was part of the team that took the title back to Old Trafford for the first time in 26 years.
“I sweated blood and shed tears in my six years at United and I think I should be respected for that. But all I get is stick whenever I go there because Ferguson once called me a ‘big-time Charlie’ in some television programme. So now it’s a case of, ‘Let’s wind him up again.’”
Ince, who clinched two Premier League titles and two FA Cups with United, admitted his departure from Liverpool wasn’t under the best of circumstances. That was due to a fallout with then-manager Gerard Houllier, and he was on the move again in 1999.
Despite this, he didn’t feel the fans turned against him. Indeed, when comparing the two sets of supporters years later, he held Liverpool’s in high regard.
“Liverpool European nights, you can’t beat them,” he commented on the Blood Red podcast in 2019. “They’re special and it is iconic with all the flags. It is amazing. I think the atmosphere depends on the time, doesn’t it? When we look at Old Trafford, because it is so vast now, it is so corporate, it’s not the atmosphere that you do get at Liverpool.
“I love the Liverpool people. They come and support the team, they know football and they back their players. But one thing about the two teams, you never see them boo their players off, or very rarely. They are understanding fans. They are different atmospheres in different ways, but I like the way Liverpool look after their players, look after their own.”
Those present for the festive clash against Wolves will hope to demonstrate that his commendation still holds true today. However, the fixture is the exact type of banana peel that has repeatedly caused Arne Slot’s side to slip up of late.
After enduring a difficult spell in recent months, Liverpool are now chasing a fourth consecutive win when they host Wolves. Victory on Saturday would see Slot’s men climb into fourth place, at least temporarily, with Chelsea hosting Aston Villa later this evening.
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