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When Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher picked their Liverpool & Man Utd opposition #One2Eleven

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Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher pick their Liverpool and Man Utd XIs

Back in 2016, Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher chose the best #One2Eleven they played against as Liverpool and Man Utd players.

As part of The Fantasy Football Club, the two former rivals sat down to chose their XIs from the opposition they played against.

Here's who they picked...

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Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville reveal their #One2Eleven's
Image: Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville reveal their #One2Elevens

Neville's Liverpool #One2Eleven

(Speaking in October 2016)

Gary Neville #One2Eleven
Image: Gary Neville's Liverpool #One2Eleven

GOALKEEPER - Pepe Reina

I don't think Liverpool ever had a goalkeeper I've liked that much to be honest with you, but I'll go for Reina.

DEFENCE - Markus Babbel, Stephane Henchoz, Sami Hyypia and Jamie Carragher

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I don't think Liverpool have had may good full-backs and I always remember that around that time, it felt like they had this tall, narrow back four and it was a nightmare to play against. There were no gaps, every time you crossed it, they headed or playing down the side, they had someone covering it.

To me, this was Liverpool's strongest back four, otherwise I can't think of a great right-back or left-back. I think putting Carragher at left-back, just to get him in first and foremost, then it gets Henchoz and Hyypia in as well.

MIDFIELD - Steven Gerrard, Javier Mascherano, Xabi Alonso and John Barnes

With Mascherano and Alonso in midfield, it's the only time in my career where I thought 'they're actually good here'. Gerrard was a number 10 and Torres was up front, with Carragher and Hypia in the centre of defence and with Reina in goal, I thought 'another signing or two here, and they're going to win the league or they're close'.

Steven Gerrard
Image: Steven Gerrard is included in Neville's midfield

I played against Barnes three or four times and played with him for England and although when I played against him around 1995/96, he was just coming to the end, I think just for his ability and skill, he was a brilliant player. With him just tucked in on the left, it's a good midfield four.

STRIKERS - Michael Owen and Fernando Torres

These two were lightning quick. Owen in his early years was electric and for those two or three years at Liverpool was devastating, especially on the left channel where I played and it was tough.

Torres for me was probably a world-class centre-forward. I didn't play against Luis Suarez or I would have had him in front of Torres, but for two or three years at Liverpool, Torres was outstanding and one of the best strikers in the world.

Torres scored 81 goals in 142 games for Liverpool
Image: Torres scored 81 goals in 142 games for Liverpool

Owen and Torres were the same in that once they lost that pace, Liverpool lost their main threat whereas other players can adapt, they weren't technically wonderful players but to play against them in their peak, you wouldn't want to because their pace was the one that kills you as a defender.

The team I've picked is one I wouldn't like to play against actually. The back four is solid, there's a midfield that can pass, can run, can cross and they could feed the front two.

Carragher's Man Utd #One2Eleven

(Speaking in October 2016)

Jamie Carragher #One2Eleven
Image: Jamie Carragher's Man Utd #One2Eleven

GOALKEEPER - Peter Schmeichel

I think he's the best goalkeeper we've seen in the Premier League era, maybe one of the greatest ever and certainly during my time playing against United so he goes in.

DEFENCE - Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra

I think that back four around 2007/08 was as good as anything in Europe. Getting through to a few Champions League finals on the bounce and certainly the centre-back partnership at that time - along with John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho who were outstanding - I think those two partnerships were the best anywhere around.

Gary Neville celebrates a goal in Manchester United's 3-2 win against Juventus at Old Trafford
Image: Gary Neville makes Carragher's Man Utd side

I think a lot of what United did going forward in that side with Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo was based on Edwin van Der Sar in goal and especially those two centre-backs and also the back four.

Evra was maybe a debatable one in terms of Dennis Irwin - Manchester United fans would maybe opt for him - but I think I played against Evra a lot more and he was outstanding.

MIDFIELD - Cristiano Ronaldo, Roy Keane, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs

It is probably one of the greatest midfields you would see in any era. I think the midfield four was with David Beckham if you go back to when that team played, but in Ronaldo, you can argue he is one of the greatest players we've seen in the Premier League, certainly alongside Thierry Henry.

Sir Alex Ferguson and Cristiano Ronaldo salute the Man Utd crowd
Image: Cristiano Ronaldo (right) was a revelation at Old Trafford

Roy Keane; will United ever have a figure like that again? He's a fantastic central midfield player. Scholes you would pick as your No 1, or maybe the best player you played with. And Giggs is one of the most decorated players there will ever be in football.

STRIKER - Wayne Rooney and Ruud van Nistelrooy

Van Nistelrooy didn't win a European Cup like some of United's great centre-forwards have, but his goal record must be one of the best, in terms of goals per game. I wouldn't say he caused you a massive problem in games, I can't remember playing against Van Nistelrooy and thinking that, but whenever you saw him play, you just knew he was going to score.

Rooney joined United from Everton in August 2004 for a fee of £30m after breaking through at Goodison Park as a teenager
Image: Wayne Rooney is United's all-time top goalscorer

It was either Rooney or Beckham, but I've gone for Rooney because to go there at the age that he did, for the fee that he did, to do what he did on his debut, to be there for so long considering the great players United have had.

You think of the players Untied have had, George Best, Bobby Charlton, Dennis Law and to be top scorer out of them sees him deserve his place.

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