9 Players Who Have Played for Both Manchester City & United

The Manchester derby is one of English football's blockbuster fixtures, with Manchester City's oil-powered success since their 2008 takeover only intensifying an already bitter rivalry.

City held the bragging rights for patches in the late 60s and early 70s, but as Sir Alex Ferguson rebuilt the Red Devils in the 90s, United enjoyed an era of dominance over their Manchester rivals, who flitted in and out of the top flight. But when Sheikh Mansour bought the Citizens towards the back end of the 2010s, everything changed, and the 'noisy neighbours' have been making an absolute racket ever since.


​Despite the fierce rivalry between the pair, some players have opted to swap City for United, red for blue and the Noel and Liam for Morrisey... 


Denis Law

Denis Law,Gordon Banks

​Dennis Law spent the 1960/61 season at Manchester City, before being tempted to Torino for a record transfer fee for a British player.

He returned to Manchester a year later, but to join ​United. Law went on to enjoy a stunning 11 years at Old Trafford, scoring 237 goals in 404 appearances (only Bobby Charlton and Wayne Rooney have more) and helping the club to their first league title since the Munich disaster.

In 1973, he rejoined City, and famously scored a backheel on the final day of the season against United, who were condemned to relegation, in what became an iconic British football moment.


Brian Kidd

Brian Kidd

Manchester born and bread Brian Kidd progressed through the United academy and went on to score 52 times in 203 appearances for the club.

Following the club's relegation in 1974, the forward moved to Arsenal, but was back in his native Manchester two years later, this time lining up in the blue of City. Kidd was prolific during his three years at Maine Road, scoring 44 times in 98 appearances.

Alex Ferguson brought Kidd back to United in 1988 to coach the youth team, and he became Fergie's assistant in 1991. After various managerial and coaching spells elsewhere, Kidd switched Manchester allegiances once more, joining the City coaching staff in 2009.


Terry Cooke

Midfielder Terry Cooke progressed through the ranks at United, but with David Beckham playing in the same position as him, his time at United was restricted to just eight first-team appearances.

He joined City on loan in 1999, and the club paid £1m to sign Cooke directly from their rivals later that season. The midfielder helped City secure promotion to the top flight that year, before leaving the club in 2002.


Peter Schmeichel

Champs League SF Peter Schmeichel

Peter Schmeichel spent eight years at Old Trafford, and was part of the famous treble winning side in 1999, famously cartwheeling in his area after United's last gasp winner in the Champions League final.

After spells at Sporting CP and Aston Villa, Schmeichel surprisingly moved to City for a season in 2002. He never lost a game against United after his switch to Maine Road, meaning after nine years of playing in the Manchester derby for both City and United, Schmeichel was never on the losing side.


Andy Cole

Manchester City's Andy Cole (R) blasts a

A fellow member of United's glorious treble winning side, Cole spent six hugely prolific years at United after his £7m switch from Newcastle - a then British transfer record.


The England striker came into his own after Eric Cantona left the club, and he formed a lethal partnership with Dwight Yorke, as the pair pitched in with 53 goals between them in the 1998/99 season.

After spells at Blackburn and Fulham, Cole signed for City in 2005. He played for the Citizens for a season, and finished as the club's top scorer.


Carlos Tevez

Carlos Tevez spent two years on loan at Manchester United between 2007-2009, winning successive league titles and the Champions League as he, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo formed one of the greatest frontlines in English football history.

However, in 2009 Tevez opted to switch allegiances, signing a bumper contract at City and making himself less than popular with the red half of Manchester.

His four seasons at ​City were a mixture of brilliant and bizarre. The Argentinian became the second fastest player to reach half a century of goals for the club, then threw a strop and refused to come on as a substitute against Bayern Munich, disappeared to play golf for four months, before returning to help guide City to their first league title in 44 years.


Owen Hargreaves

Owen Hargreaves

The England midfielder saw his four years at United ravaged by injuries, but he was instrumental in ​the Red Devils' 2008 Champions League final win over Chelsea.

In 2011, his Old Trafford contract expired, and Hargreaves turned down the opportunity to play for Roy Hodgson's West Brom to sign for City. Despite scoring on his debut in the League Cup, he only featured once in the Premier League, before being released at the end of the season.


Abbie McManus

Manchester United Women v Brighton and Hove Albion Women - FA Women's Continental League Cup: Quarter-Final

The England defender is a member of an exclusive club of players who moved directly from one Manchester rival to the other. McManus grew up supporting United, but spent nine years at City across two spells.

After United's promotion to the WSL in 2019, she left the blue side of Manchester for the red.


Jane Ross

Manchester United Women v Brighton and Hove Albion Women - FA Women's Continental League Cup: Quarter-Final

Jane Ross' goals helped fire City to the WSL title in 2016, before moving to West Ham in 2018 after three years at the club.

One year later, Ross was back in Manchester, but this time she was pulling on the red of United. ​



Source : 90min