'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFAABAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB//aAAgBAQAAAAAcPP/EABQBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL/2gAIAQIQAAAAP//EABQBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/2gAIAQMQAAAAf//EACEQAAEDBAEFAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIBAwUABBEhEwYxMlKR/9oACAEBAAE/AIaTiT6LkRvjELi8JxoWXeV4Q7KJD6YXG/JcYrkNNa+JX//EABcRAAMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABEQL/2gAIAQIBAT8AwrT/xAAZEQEAAgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAAMREkH/2gAIAQMBAT8AvwagcJ//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Chelsea and Manchester United will lock horns in the final of the 2017/18 FA Cup on Saturday evening at Wembley. It is a high-stakes and high-pressure game for both the clubs as they have failed to achieve their season targets and would like to finish their campaign by adding a trophy to their cabinets.
This could potentially be Antonio Conte's last game at Chelsea, as his time at the Bridge might be coming to an end whereas Jose Mourinho would like to cap off his second season with another trophy in charge of United.
The rivalry between the Blues and the Red Devils is classic. Both the clubs have become fierce rivals over the past decade and have battled each other in the race for silverware. The last time these two sides met in the FA Cup was last season, with Conte's men claiming a 1-0 quarter-final victory at home.
Over the years, we have seen numerous players who have appeared in the red as well as the blue of the two teams. This has included direct transfers as players who have swapped one city for the other or have appeared in two different spells in their distinguished careers.
On that note, here is a look at the players that have appeared in the jerseys of these two great rivals:
#1 Mark Bosnich
Mark Bosnich started out his career in the Manchester United academy in 1989. He played only three games for the Red Devils, debuting in 1990 against Wimbledon before switching to his country of birth, Australia, joining Sydney United on a free in 1991.
After his return to England, the goalkeeper spent seven years at Aston Villa, making 179 appearances for the club and was then snapped up by Manchester United on a free transfer in 1999 following the expiry of his contract at Villa.
The start to Bosnich's second spell at Old Trafford was much better as he became the first choice in the league following the departure of Peter Schmeichel after the historic treble season. The Australian started 23 games in the Premier League, as United clinched the trophy by a huge margin at the top.
But after the signing of Fabien Barthez in 2000, Bosnich was unable to make a single appearance all throughout his second season in Manchester which led to him signing for Chelsea on a free in 2001.
Things became worse for Mark Bosnich when he was fired by the Blues one month into the 2002/03 season, having accumulated only five appearances for the club, as he failed a drug test and was later banned from football for a period of nine months.
Paul Parker
Paul Parker played primarily as a center back for Fulham and Queens Park Rangers before making the move to Manchester United in 1991, when he was shifted to the right-back role by Sir Alex Ferguson.
The former England international had a very successful stint in Manchester in terms of silverware, winning five trophies during his five-year spell, including two Premier League titles. Parker had established himself as a regular in the starting XI under Ferguson and was thriving his new position.
But injuries plagued him during his latter years as he was displaced by the up and coming Gary Neville, losing his spot at the club and also at the international level. The last two years at Old Trafford were very rough for the Englishman as he warmed the benches and barely had a look in during his final season.
Following his exit from United, Paul Parker played for six clubs in the span of two seasons, which included stints throughout the top four divisions of English football and later at the Non-League level.
He joined Chelsea after a very brief stint in Fulham midway during the second half of the season and played only four games during his short-lived stay in West London.
Mal Donaghy
Mal Donaghy joined Manchester United in 1988 after a successful 10-year spell at Luton Town. The Northern Irishman was a versatile defender, excelling both at center back and also as a fullback.
During his time at United, Donaghy made 89 appearances for the Red Devils but found opportunities scarce following an impressive debut season and was loaned out to former club Luton.
However, he did enjoy a triumphant career in Manchester, winning three trophies during his four-year spell before being signed up by Chelsea in 1992.
Chelsea was Mal Donaghy's final destination, notching up 68 appearances for the club and scoring three goals during his two-year stint as he announced his retirement from professional football at the end of the season.
Nemanja Matic
Nemanja Matic was initially signed by Chelsea in 2009 and was subsequently loaned out to Vitesse Arnhem in his second season.
But, after being able to make only three appearances for the club in his two-year stay, he was deemed surplus to requirements and was sold in an exchange deal with Benfica that saw David Luiz come over to London.
Following a successful three year spell in Portugal, Matic returned to England after being signed up by Chelsea in the 2014 January transfer window.
The Serbian immediately became a regular in the starting XI for the Blues and went on to establish himself as one of the best defensive midfielders in European football for the coming years.
His second season in London brought him more success, as Chelsea completed the domestic double of the Premier League and League Cup in 2015. Matic also had the capability of chipping in with timely goals, including a long-range stunner against Tottenham Hotspur in the semi-final of the 2016/17 FA Cup.
Following another successful campaign at Stamford Bridge, the 29-year-old was surprisingly sold to rivals Manchester United in July 2017 for a fee of around £40 million, bringing an end to a three and a half year stay that brought seven goals, 19 assists, two Premier League titles. He was later replaced by new signing Tiemoue Bakayoko in London.
But Matic quickly adjusted to new surroundings in Manchester, making 48 appearances in all competitions as he has become a prominent fixture in midfield and one of the first names on the teamsheet for Mourinho.
This campaign, defensively, he has accumulated two tackles, 1.8 interceptions along with five long balls per game thus far.
Ultimately, letting Nemanja Matic go has proven to be Chelsea's loss and Manchester United's gain as Bakayoko has failed to live up to expectations whereas the Red Devils have prospered from the presence of the Serbian on the pitch.
Juan Sebastian Veron
Juan Sebastian Veron enjoyed an illustrious 23-year career, having represented big clubs in both South America and Europe. He landed in England when Manchester United broke the transfer record and signed the Argentinian for a huge sum of £24.3 million back in 2001.
But unfortunately, he wasn't able to live up to the price tag, as he found it hard to adapt to the pace of the Premier League. His form was very inconsistent with very few good performances during his two seasons, being able to deliver only on rare occasions despite playing 82 games.
When Chelsea were taken over by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich in 2003, the influx of cash into the club saw the Blues pay £15 million to acquire the services of Veron. But, his poor time continued as injuries hampered his career and he was able to make only 13 appearances and was loaned out twice.
His torrid six-year spell came to an end when he returned to his native Argentina and back to his boyhood club, Estudiantes in 2007.
Ray Wilkins
Ray Wilkins had a very prolific playing career that included stints in England, Italy, France, and Scotland. But he did start out with his boyhood club, Chelsea, in the year 1973 and spent six years there, making 179 appearances, going on to establish himself as one of the club greats in the 70s along with winning the Chelsea Player of the Year award twice.
Wilkins was handed the captaincy at the age of 18 following the club's relegation to the second division in 1975 and under his leadership, Chelsea made it back to the top flight two years later. But another relegation in 1979 saw him on the move, as he was signed up by Manchester United for £825,000.
The Englishman spent five successful seasons at Old Trafford, all in the first division, notching up 160 appearances for the club playing in midfield, as he was an instrumental part of United's FA Cup triumph in 1983 and a year later, he was voted the club's Player of the Year.
After his exit from United in 1984, Wilkins played for several clubs across Europe including AC Milan. Prior to his retirement, the Englishman got into management, managing Fulham and Queens Park Rangers in 1994 before hanging up his boots in 1997 and then taking the reins of Chelsea as assistant manager.
The last of Wilkins' four stints as an assistant at Chelsea came in 2010, where he was unjustly sacked midway through the season.
He tragically passed away in March 2018 due to a cardiac arrest at the age of just 60.
George Graham
George Graham's spells at both Chelsea and Manchester United lasted the same amount of time, two years each. The Scottish international had the ability to play in midfield and also up front, which saw him bag 35 goals for Chelsea and win the League Cup in 1965 during his two-year stay in London.
After a successful six-year stint at Arsenal, Graham was on the move in 1972 and ended up in Manchester United.
His two-year spell at United did not bring him much personal or team success as he made just 43 appearances in two seasons for the Red Devils and was unable to win any silverware.
Graham left United in 1974 for Portsmouth following the club's relegation to the second division.
Juan Mata
Juan Mata is arguably one of Chelsea's most successful signings in the past 10 years in the Roman Abramovich era. He took very little time in adapting to the playing style, scoring a goal on debut after coming off the bench and later going on to cement his place as a starter.
He made 53 appearances in all competitions in his debut season, scoring 12 goals and setting up 19 as he was an indispensable component in Chelsea's triumphant season where they completed the double, winning the FA Cup and Champions League.
The following season, the Spaniard carried over his fine streak of form, linking up brilliantly with new signings Eden Hazard and Oscar to form the attacking triangle known as 'MAZACAR'.
It was a tiring and demanding 2012/13 campaign for the Blues as they appeared in six different competitions and played 69 games in a span of nine months - Mata appeared in 62 games and scored 19 goals - that saw them finish third in the Premier League and lift their maiden Europa League trophy.
Following the return of Jose Mourinho to Chelsea in 2013, things started becoming very unsettling at the club. The Spanish International was played out of position, deployed on the wing as Mourinho opted to play Oscar as the playmaker.
This caused a lot of unrest and friction between Mata and Mourinho which ultimately led to the two-time Chelsea Player of The Year being sold in the January transfer window.
It was a crushing loss for the Chelsea fans as one of their beloved players was unfairly shown the exit door due to the manager's ego and it is something that has been hard for them to get over since.
Juan Mata was signed by David Moyes and Manchester United in the second half of the season for a fee of £37 million. The 30-year-old has had a mixed four years at Old Trafford.
The most memorable contribution in his first full season, in 2015, was when he scored a match-winning brace against Liverpool at Anfield in the Premier League including a spectacular overhead kick that gave United the three points and a famous victory over their arch-rivals.
He was the first choice under former manager Louis van Gaal but was unable to replicate his performances from his time at Chelsea, primarily due to the fact that he was operating on the right wing instead of his natural and preferred role of a playmaker, in a number 10 role.
The arrival of the Special One in Manchester resulted in a good on-field relationship between the duo in spite of the Spaniard being in and out of the starting XI and still continuing to be played on the right.
Mata has made 185 appearances for Manchester United thus far, scoring 39 goals. This season he has played 43 games, chipping in with four goals and six assists.
Radamel Falcao
Radamel Falcao landed in England in 2014 carrying high hopes and expectations from the Manchester United faithful as he was going to be a part of an explosive and threatening attacking partnership that involved Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney.
However, Falcao failed to deliver during his loan spell, scoring only four goals in 26 appearances in the Premier League. He went missing in matches, failing to create even half chances and his body language on the pitch was also very poor and it led to him getting dropped from the starting lineup.
After a dismal season at United, the Colombian returned to his parent club AS Monaco the following season and a month later, he once again returned to English football, as Chelsea acquired his services on a season-long loan deal.
However, his spell at Chelsea proved to be even worse than his stint at Man Utd as Falcao's career was cut short due to injuries and he was able to make only 12 appearances throughout the season, scoring just a solitary goal.
This brought an end to another devastating season for Radamel Falcao as injuries were the sole reason that hampered the progress of his career and caused a dip in form which ultimately saw him miss the 2014 World Cup.
Romelu Lukaku
Romelu Lukaku arrived in England nearly seven years ago, when Chelsea signed him as a teenager in 2011 under former boss Andre Villas-Boas.
But during his three-year stint in London, the Belgian was able to make only 15 appearances for the club which involved an unfortunate and unavoidable incident when he failed to convert from the spot in the penalty shootout of the 2013 UEFA Super Cup against Bayern Munich, as Chelsea fell short.
Following three successful years at Everton, Lukaku was snapped up by Manchester United for a record fee of £75 million last year, going on to score on his home debut against West Ham in the league.
Despite coming under severe criticism, the 25-year-old has delivered on his hefty price tag this season, scoring 27 goals in all competitions as well as bagging nine assists. Lukaku has rescued United from losing positions and earned many points for the Red Devils, helping them finish second in the Premier League this campaign.
Mark Hughes
Mark Hughes broke into the Manchester United first team in 1983 and spent three years at Old Trafford before making the move to Barcelona in 1986. But, his spell in Spain was short lived and a couple of years later, he came back to United for a second spell at the club.
Hughes enjoyed a triumphant return to English football, becoming an essential part of Sir Alex Ferguson's starting XI up front. Not only did he achieve personal success, he contributed immensely to the team's success as he won 11 trophies across his two different stints in Manchester, including back-to-back Premier League titles.
The Welshman was unable to achieve a double-figure goal tally only once during his time at Man Utd, which came in his debut season. His 22 goals in all competitions in 1994 helped the Red Devils accomplish a domestic double of the league and the FA Cup.
Hughes moved to Chelsea in 1995 and carried on his consistent streak. During his time in West London, the former Welsh international scored 39 goals in three years and was a key figure in the Blues achieving domestic and continental success.
Mark Hughes was part of a renaissance under the leadership and management of player-manager Ruud Gullit in Chelsea's rise in the 90s as they ended their 26-year trophy drought by lifting the FA Cup in 1996 and added two more trophies the following season before he left for Southampton in 1998.
His contributions earned plaudits and appreciation from the fans, players and media alike as he was voted the Chelsea Player of The Year in 1997. Hughes is one of the cornerstones of Chelsea's surge towards the top as he and several other future club greats instilled a winning mentality at Stamford Bridge.
