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Manchester City and Liverpool are undoubtedly the best teams in the Premier League at the moment. The Citizens have won the last two Premier League titles and have been the most dominant side in the Premier League this decade. The Reds are enjoying their best run in the Premier League since its inception.
The two clubs were engaged in one of the closest Premier League title races in history last season with City edging out Liverpool by a single point on the last day.
With the two sides set to lock horns again on Sunday, let's look at five of the best players to have played for both these clubs.
#5. Dietmar Hamann
A Bayern Munich product, Dietmar Hamann was already an established international when he joined Premier League side Newcastle United in 1998. His stay at St James'' Park was a brief one as he joined Gerrard Houllier's Liverpool the following season.
Hamann quickly established himself in the Liverpool midfield alongside Steven Gerrard after making his debut against Sheffield Wednesday in 1999. The former German international was a key player for the Reds when they won the UEFA Cup, FA Cup, and the League Cup the following season.
His greatest night in a Liverpool jersey came during the famous miracle of Istanbul where he scored the first penalty of the penalty shootout despite having a broken foot. Hamann played one more season for Liverpool before leaving for Bolton in 2006. In seven seasons in Merseyside, he made 280 appearances and scored 11 goals. During his stay at Anfield, he won two FA Cups, two League Cups, two UEFA Super Cups, a UEFA Cup and the UEFA Champions League.
Hamann signed for Manchester City under controversial circumstances after deciding to move to Manchester just a day after joining Bolton. The midfielder was past his prime when he arrived at City and had to be content with a reduced squad role. In three seasons with the club, Hamann made 71 appearances and scored once for the Citizens.
Hamann then moved to Milton Keynes Dons where he officially retired in 2011.
Alsoi check out: EPL fixtures EPL table Premier League
#4. Steve McManaman
Steve McManaman is the most decorated English players to have played abroad. He is also the first English player to win the UEFA Champions League with a non-English club and is also the first English player to have done the same twice.
McManaman was born an Everton supporter but made his way through the Liverpool youth academy. The midfielder made his Liverpool debut in 1990 at the age of 18 and was touted to be the long-term replacement of Reds legend John Barnes.
McManaman was part of the famous 'spice boys' along with Robbie Fowler. The midfielder spent nine seasons at Anfield and made 364 appearances and scoring 64 goals before moving to Real Madrid in a high-profile free-transfer. During his stay at the Merseyside, McManaman won the FA Cup and the League Cup once while finishing runners-up in the League to Arsenal in his debut season.
In four seasons at Madrid, Mcmanaman won two UEFA Champions League, two La Ligas, UEFA Super Cup and the Spanish Super Cup before returning to England to join Manchester City in 2003.
McManaman re-united with former teammates Robbie Fowler, David James and Nicolas Anelka at the City of Manchester Stadium (now known as the Etihad) under Liverpool legend Kevin Keegan. The midfielder though could never reproduce the form that made him one of the best Premier League players during his time at Liverpool. The emergence of a young Shaun-Wright Phillips and piling up of injuries resulted in very little playing time for the midfielder.
The arrival of Stuart Pearce, following Kevin Keegan's resignation, dealt the final blow as McManaman was released by the club. In his two seasons, the midfielder made just 44 appearances and failed to find the net even once.
Steve McManaman now works as a football pundit for BT Sport and ESPN.
#3. James Milner
James Milner is the only active Liverpool player on this list. The Leeds-born midfielder became the second youngest player to make his debut in the Premier League when he came on against West Ham for Leeds in 2002 at the age of 16 years and 309 days, a record which has since been surpassed by many. He also became the youngest player to score in the Premier League when he found the net against Sunderland at the age of 16 years and 356 days, a record which has only been surpassed by James Vaughan.
Two seasons with Leeds was followed by a move to Newcastle where Milner established himself as one of the most promising talents in the Premier League. The midfielder spent four seasons with the Toons before making his move to Aston Villa.
It was from Aston Villa that the Sheikh Mansour owned Manchester City bought James Milner for a reported fee of around £26 million in 2010. At City, Milner formed a formidable midfield partnership with Yaya Toure and former Aston Villa teammate Gareth Barry.
James Milner was part of the Manchester City side that broke Citizens' 44-year wait for the League in 2012. In five seasons at the Eithad, the midfielder made 203 appearances and scored 18 times before moving to Liverpool. During his stay with the Citizens, Milner won two Premier League titles, FA Cup and the League Cup
In 2015, Milner joined Liverpool on a free transfer from Manchester City. At Liverpool, the midfielder turned into Jurgen Klopp's most dependable player in the team with the German playing him in a variety of positions on the field. Milner played a key role during the Reds run to finals of the UEFA Europa League as well as during their successful UEFA Champions League run last season.
Now in his fifth season with the club, James Milner has now made 192 appearances and scored 25 times for the Reds.
#2. Raheem Sterling
He is one of the most in-form players in the world right now and arguably one of the biggest talents to come out through the Liverpool academy in this decade.
Raheem Sterling joined the Liverpool Academy in 2010 after spending seven years with Queens Park Rangers academy. The winger made his Liverpool debut two seasons later coming on as a substitute against Wigan Athletic in January 2012. He became the eighth youngest player to score in the Premier League and managed to cement himself as a first-team player in the following season.
Sterling formed a fearsome attacking trio alongside Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge as Liverpool finished runners-up to Manchester City in the 2013-14 season. Sterling continued his form into the next season but was soon shipped to Manchester City in a high-profile transfer in 2015 after the Reds failed to offer the winger a new contract. In four seasons at Anfield, Sterling made a total of 129 appearances and scored 23 times.
Liverpool's loss was Manchester City's gain as the Citizens acquired Raheem Sterling for a reported transfer fee of around £49 million including add-ons making him the most expensive English player of all-time, a record which has since been broken.
At Manchester City, under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola, Sterling has turned into one of the most feared wingers in the world. He has gone from strength to strength and is arguably the best English player right now. In five seasons with the club, Sterling has already won two Premier Leagues, two League Cups and the FA Cup. He has also made 207 appearances for the Citizens and has 87 goals to his name.
Sterling is also a former Golden boy recipient having won the award in 2012 when he was playing for Liverpool.
#1. Robbie Fowler
Arguably one of the greatest strikers the Premier League has ever seen, Robbie Fowler ended his Premier League career with an astonishing 163 goals (seventh in the all-time list).
Like Steve McManaman, Robbie Fowler grew up as an Everton fan before joining the Liverpool's youth Academy. His natural goalscoring ability and ruthlessness in front of goal saw Fowler getting his first taste of first-team football at the age of 18 in 1993. The striker soon became a regular in the Liverpool starting lineup and scored a staggering 83 league goals in his first four seasons with the Merseyside club before injuries and the rise of Michael Owen resulted in reduced game time.
The next five seasons saw Fowler's goal-scoring tally being reduced to 37 goals as Michael Owen replaced him in the starting lineup. His first spell with the club ended in 2001 after Liverpool accepted a £12 million bid from Leeds United. In a fairytale return, Fowler came back to Liverpool in 2006 on a free transfer from Manchester City. In total, Robbie Fowler spent 11 seasons with Liverpool spread over two spells and made a total of 369 appearances. During those 11 years, he managed to win the FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup.
Robbie Fowler moved to Manchester City from Leeds in 2003 where he re-united with former teammate Steve McManamen. The striker though could never rediscover his form after struggling with some off-the-field problems and fitness issues. Before returning to Liverpool, Fowler managed to make 92 appearances for Manchester City, scoring a total of 28 goals.
Fowler then had a nomadic career joining Cardiff City, Blackburn Rovers, North Queensland Fury, Perth Glory and Muathong United in successive seasons before calling it a day in 2011.
Robbie Fowler can now be seen as the head coach of the Australian A-league side Brisbane Roar.
Honorable mentions - Daniel Sturridge, Mario Balotelli, Peter Beardsley, Steve McMahon, Craig Bellamy, Kolo Toure.
