Liverpool took the spoils from the 243rd Merseyside derby at Anfield, but a pair from opposing sides were able to reunite and share a moment together in the tunnel after the game.
The Reds took all three points from Saturday’s meeting with Everton after a late Mohamed Salah brace in front of the Kop helped the side get back to winning ways following dropped points against Tottenham and Brighton before the break.
Pleasantries after the game allowed a number of players to catch up with each other off the pitch and that included Cody Gakpo and Jarrad Branthwaite, who played alongside one another during their time at PSV.
Gakpo tossed his shirt to his former teammate in the tunnel before the two had a chat after the Dutchman watched on from the sidelines while the Reds secured the bragging rights in the weekend’s early kick-off.
The pair spent six months together and played alongside each other nine times at Eindhoven, with Branthwaite on loan at the Dutch side last season while Gakpo brought his time at the club to an end in January as he completed his £37 million switch to Anfield.
Liverpool’s No. 18 wasn’t named in the matchday squad having only returned to training on Thursday as he recovers from the knee injury he picked up in the process of equalising against Tottenham last month.
It was an unusual sight to see an Everton player holding a red jersey after the game, but with tentative links to the defender earlier this year is there a chance Branthwaite could be wearing that shirt in years to come, perhaps?
Gakpo wasn’t the only player to reconvene with the Blues centre-back, with Harvey Elliott also seen to be deep in conversation with the man he has represented England with at U21 level.
Both players started for the Young Lions last Monday as Elliott captained the side during the 3-2 defeat to Ukraine.
Another Dutch reunion saw Ryan Gravenberch and Arnaut Danjuma swap shirts and embrace having both represented the Netherlands at U21 and senior levels.
It was the feisty affair on the pitch you’d expect between two old rivals, but it looked to be all smiles and respect off it as the Reds secured their seventh win from the last eight Anfield meetings with the Toffees.
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