In advance of our visit to SL Benfica in the Europa League on Thursday, YNWA looks at the careers of some of those who have represented both sides.

In charge
Graeme Souness signed from Middlesbrough for £352,000 in January 1978 after 22 goals in 176 League games. He won five League titles, three European Cups and four League Cups and three FA Charity Shields in six years as a reds player, netting 55 times in 359 games. His later time as Manager was considerably less successful, with just one FA Cup triumph, along with the controversial dismantling of the legendary Boot Room, and his infamous liaison with a certain tabloid newspaper.

He was born in Edinburgh. He won five League titles, three European Cups, four League Cups and three FA Charity Shields in six years as a reds player. His time as Manager was considerably less successful, with just one FA Cup triumph, along with the controversial dismantling of the legendary Boot Room, and his infamous liaison with a certain tabloid newspaper.
Souness took over at the Estádio da Luz in November 1997, having been fired as boss of Italian Serie B side Torino the month before after just six matches in charge. He survived until May 1999 when the club announced that Souness had been suspended and was subject to an "internal club investigation" after a 1-1 draw against lowly Campomaiorense. Although he had taken Benfica into the Champions League in his first season, he had failed to mount a serious title challenge.

Former reds forward Phil Boersma worked as coach under Souness in Portugal, as at many other clubs. He signed professional terms in September 1968 and struck thirty times in 120 reds games, although he struggled to get picked in front of Kevin Keegan and John Toshack. He left the club to join Middlesbrough in December 1975 for £72,000.

Pako Ayestarán served as Assistant Manager under Rafael Benítez at Valencia, as well as working as their fitness coach, before joining Rafa as his number two at Anfield. He left at the start of the 2007/08 season, spending the following campaign as fitness coach with Benfica before returning to Valencia.

At the back
Abel Xavier made the short trip across Stanley Park for £800,000 in January 2002. He netted twice in 21 reds games, of which we only lost three, including a goal on his debut in a 6-0 thumping of Ipswich Town at Portman Road. He had spent two seasons in Lisbon, after making the move from his first club, Estrela Amadora in the summer of 1993. He struck four times in 49 League games before joining Bari in Italy.

Steve Harkness was sold to SL Benfica for £750,000 in August 1999 after three goals in 139 reds games. He only stayed five months in Portugal, playing nine times in the League before joining Blackburn Rovers for £400,000. He had joined the reds from Carlisle United for just £75,000 in July 1989.

Deano
Dean Saunders scored 25 times in 61 first-team appearances while at Anfield, following his British record £2.9m signing from Derby County in July 1991. He was sold by Graeme Souness after only fourteen months at the club, moving on to Aston Villa for £2.3m, grabbing a brace for them against the reds on his home debut. He rejoined Souness at SL Benfica from Sheffield United for £500,000 in December 1998, netting five times in seventeen League outings before joining Bradford City on a free transfer just nine months later. He has since followed Souness round the country in a series of coaching positions.

Another double agent
Michael Thomas left Anfield on a free transfer to join Graeme Souness at Benfica in August 1998, after twelve goals in 163 reds games, including the 1992 FA Cup Final opener. He had arrived from Arsenal for £1.5m in December 1991, less than three years after cruelly snatching the title for the Gunners with practically the last kick of the season's final game in L4, as well as coming off the bench in their 1987 League Cup Final defeat of the reds. He played just five League games in Portugal in his two years there before returning to England to join Wimbledon.