The Players that Played for Both Man City & Man United

Nowadays, the enmity involved in football is such that it seems almost impossible that footballers would be able to play for both Manchester City and Manchester United during their careers. It is certainly the case that not many modern players have crossed the divide, but when you remember that Matt Busby was the Liverpool captain before he became the Man United manager, it is easier to understand that there wasn’t as much hatred between clubs in the past. At the time of writing there are 14 players that have played for both teams at senior level, with that figure unlikely to change unless a player also players for another club in the interim.

The Players

Fans of the modern game might well mention the name of Jadon Sancho when it comes to players that have played for both club, but we are not including him on our list. That is because Sancho was on the books of Manchester City but never actually made a first-team appearance, whereas all of the players here definitely did. Sancho left the Cityzens for Borussia Dortmund in the search for first-team minutes, eventually leaving Germany to return to Manchester but playing for the team in red. Here is a look at the 14 players that have achieved first-team appearances for both sides, looking in reverse alphabetical order:

Carlos Tevez

If you want to have a conversation about players that have appeared for both Manchester clubs then there is a good argument that Carlos Tevez will be at the top of the list for a lot of people. Bought by West Ham in 2006 before leaving for Manchester United on loan a year later, Tevez played 99 games for Alex Ferguson’s side, getting 34 goals and 14 assists in the process. When his loan move came to an end, a £25 million move to Manchester City followed, with the club taking out a public advert in the city centre saying ‘Welcome to Manchester’. He notched up 73 goals and 35 assists, helping the Cityzens win their first Premier League title in 2012.

Peter Schmeichel

Whilst Carlos Tevez will be the first name that a lot of people think of, there aren’t many names on this list that will rankle United supporters as much as that of Peter Schmeichel. It isn’t that the Danish goalkeeper achieved a huge amount with City, but more that he was considered to be one of the finest shot-stoppers that the Red Devils ever had. He played at Old Trafford for eight years, winning five Premier Leagues, three FA Cups, one Champions League and one League Cup. After 398 games he left for Sporting CP, returning to England with Aston Villa before arriving at Manchester City, appearing 31 times before retiring.

Mark Robbins

There are many more names on the list that will be recognisable to the majority of football fans than Mark Robbins. He was unlucky, insomuch as he played for Manchester United just before the good times started to truly roll under Alex Ferguson. He did win the FA Cup with the Scot, which was the manager’s first trophy, but he left the club in 1992 having made 48 appearances. He then played for the likes of Norwich City and Leicester City, as well as moving abroad to gain experience in Spain and Greece. In 1999 he turned up at Manchester City on loan, playing just two league games for the side before signing for Walsall.

Sammy McIlroy

Mention the name ‘McIlroy’ to most Manchester United supporters and they’ll assume that you’re talking about the golfer, Rory, given the fact that he is a big fan of the club. As with the golfer, Sammy McIlroy is from Northern Ireland, becoming Matt Busby’s final signing as United manager in 1969. His debut actually came in the Manchester derby, scoring in a game that ended 3-3. He left for Stoke City in a club record £350,000 move in 1982, then left Stoke for Manchester City three years later. He only lasted a year, playing 13 league games and getting one goal before leaving for Örgryte, also playing for Bury and Preston North End before his career was over.

Denis Law

Once part of Manchester United’s ‘Holy Trinity’ that also included George Best and Bobby Charlton, Denis Law’s career actually began at Manchester City, having joined from Huddersfield Town in 1960. He only spent a season at Maine Road before heading to Torino, leaving Italy in 1962 for Old Trafford. It was there that he became one of the greatest players to wear the club’s colours, going on to make 404 appearances for the Red Devils and becoming the only Scottish player to win the Ballon d’Or, which he did in 1964. Known as ‘The King’, he returned to City in 1973 and then retired a year after that.

Brian Kidd

Brian Kidd played for Manchester United from childhood, eventually being given his debut by Matt Busby in 1967. That came in a draw against Everton when he was just 18-years-old, being part of the squad that won the European Cup. He left Old Trafford to join Arsenal in 1974, returning to Manchester from the capital just two years later. This time, though, it was City who he signed for, playing 128 times and scoring more than 50 goals, which included three against his former paymasters. When he retired as a player he went into coaching, appearing on the bench of both Manchester clubs and helping to guide them to nine Premier League titles between them.

Andrei Kanchelskis

Born in what was then part of the Soviet Union and now is Ukraine, Andrei Kanchelskis signed for Manchester United from Shakhtar Donetsk in 1991. He remained at the club for four years, winning three Premier League titles, making 123 appearances in the league and scoring 28 goals. As is often the case with players that don’t quite make the grade at Old Trafford, he signed for Everton before heading off to Italy and then Scotland. It was whilst he was on the books of Rangers that a loan move was agreed for him to return to Manchester, this time on the sky blue side of the divide. He played ten times for City in the league but didn’t score.

Owen Hargreaves

There is an extent to which Owen Hargreaves’ career was blighted by injury, demonstrated by the fact that he made just 27 appearances for Manchester United between 2007 and 2011. One of those appearances came in the Champions League final, however, scoring his penalty in the shootout against Chelsea and getting a winners’ medal for his trouble. In 2011 he signed for Manchester City, with the aim being that he would replace Patrick Viera and cover for Yaya Toure when he went to the African Cup of Nations. He only made one appearance for the club, however, meaning he didn’t even get a medal when they won the league.

John Gidman

John Gidman will be better-known to most as an Aston Villa legend, but he left Villa Park in the summer of 1981 in order to sign for Manchester United. He was the first signing of the club’s new manager at the time, Ron Atkinson, going on to make 120 appearances for the Red Devils and winning the FA Cup. In 1986 he signed for Manchester City, spending two seasons at Maine Road. It is fair to say that they weren’t particularly successful ones, given the fact that he got relegated with them. A legend at two clubs and a possible pariah at the other one.

Wyn Davies

Wyn Davies was born in Caernarfon, Wales in 1942, beginning his football career proper with Wrexham. He moved to England with Bolton Wanderers in 1962, leaving for Newcastle United four years later. From there he signed for Manchester City, making 45 league appearances and scoring eight goals for the Cityzens. In 1972 he was signed by Manchester United manager Frank O’Farrell, being paired with Ted MacDougall in the side. He scored on his debut, helping United to a 3-0 win over defending champions Derby County at Old Trafford. He left at the end of the season, having played 16 times and scoring four goals.

Terry Cooke

Terry Cooke’s career began at Manchester United, but he played just four times for the Red Devils over a five year period between 1994 and 1999. He left Old Trafford on loan at Sunderland, Birmingham City, and Wrexham, with the most surprising thing being that he also signed for Man City on loan whilst on United’s books. He then signed for City full-time, playing a total of 37 games for the Cityzens and scoring eight goals. His career was interrupted by injury, leaving City on loan before eventually signing for Grimsby Town in 2002.

Andrew Cole

After making his way through the Arsenal youth system, Andy Cole, who later decided he wanted to be known as Andrew Cole, left for Bristol City and then Newcastle United. His performances there attracted the attention of Manchester United, who signed him in 1995. He went on to play 195 times and scored 93 goals, winning the Premier League five times as well as two FA Cups and the Champions League. He left United for Blackburn Rovers, then ended up at Fulham before signing for Man City in 2005. He only spent one season there, scoring nine times across 22 games for the Cityzens, never really being loved because of his past.

Peter Beardsley

If you want to find a player whose career could best be described as ‘absolutely bonkers’, you’ll struggle to do better than Peter Beardsley. He began his life at Carlisle United, then moved to the Vancouver Whitecaps before signing for Manchester United in 1982. He only made one appearance for the Red Devils, which came in the League Cup, before he was signed by Newcastle United and then Liverpool. He left Anfield for Goodison Park, then played for Newcastle United again before signing for Bolton Wanderers. It was whilst at Bolton that he went to Manchester City on loan, being one of the only players to play for both Liverpool and Manchester clubs.

Peter Barnes

Last but not least comes Peter Barnes. The left-sided winger spent the first five years of his career at Manchester City, starting as an apprentice before turning professional. Having made his debut as 17-year-old, he scored when City won the League Cup in 1976. He left for West Brom three years later, then played for Real Betis before being signed by Leeds United, from where he left on loan at Manchester United. He signed for the Red Devils properly in 1985, then returned to Manchester City two years later. His career had another 18 moves in it before he eventually retired in 1993, going on to manage Runcorn and Gibraltar.