Nick Barmby's controversial transfer from Everton to Liverpool on July 18, 2000, remains one of the most shocking moves in Merseyside football history. The England international left Goodison Park for Anfield in a £6m deal, becoming the first player to move directly between the clubs since Dave Hickson in 1959.
Barmby's Everton Career
Barmby joined Everton from Middlesbrough in 1996 for a then-club record £5.75 million. He made 132 appearances for the Blues, scoring 24 goals, with his best season coming in 1999-2000 when he netted 10 times, including a hat-trick in a 4-0 win at West Ham United. Everton were keen to extend his contract, and talks took place before Euro 2000, but after England's elimination, Barmby indicated his desire to join Liverpool.
Manager and Chairman Reaction
Everton manager Walter Smith was left shell-shocked. "The player has indicated to me that the club he would like to move to would be Liverpool," Smith explained. "Following discussions between myself, Bill Kenwright, the player and his agent, Nick Barmby has indicated his desire to leave Everton. Obviously with a year of his contract to go this leaves the club in an awkward position."
Chairman Bill Kenwright, who had only completed his purchase of Everton months earlier, was equally stunned. "If my highest high this year was taking the telephone call from my lawyers to tell me I'd finally got Everton, the lowest low was hearing the news about Nick Barmby," Kenwright said. "It was hearing he had used the six of the worst words in the English language as far as Everton fans are concerned. He had said: 'I want to play for Liverpool'. To say I was shocked and surprised doesn't begin to describe how I felt about it."
Players' Perspectives
Jamie Carragher, a Liverpool legend who grew up an Evertonian, understood the move. "If I'd signed for Everton as a teenager and played for the first team, there's absolutely no chance I could ever make that move," Carragher told the Athletic in 2020. "But it's different if you're not from Liverpool. They don't like to hear it but I think that almost every other Everton player would want to do it because of the chance of European football and trophies."
Ex-Everton defender Michael Ball struggled with the betrayal. "We had quite a few managers in a short space of time and the style of the football didn't really suit Nick," Ball told the Athletic. "The team wasn't doing well enough for England to pick him regularly. As an Evertonian, it hurt. At the time I couldn't understand it. I was young, blue-eyed and blinkered. All that mattered was Everton. You think, 'you can't do that, surely?'"
Ball added: "Ultimately, Nick was a Hull City fan. He wasn't an Evertonian. He had no alliances to any club other than Hull. I think he gave everything in an Everton shirt and then saw an opportunity, which would allow him to break into the England fold again by signing for Liverpool who were trying to win things. Professionally you can understand it but it still hurts to this day for a lot of Evertonians."
Barmby's Liverpool Legacy
Barmby scored the opening goal in his first Merseyside derby as a Red, a 3-1 win, and ended the season with three trophies: the FA Cup, League Cup, and UEFA Cup. However, injuries marred his second season, and he was sold. Reflecting on his move seven years ago, Barmby told the ECHO's Royal Blue podcast in 2019: "For me, I loved my time. It was up, down, up, down at Everton. To play football on Merseyside for Everton and Liverpool, and obviously certain fans don't want to hear that, the hotbed of football for me is the Merseyside area."
He added: "My contract was coming towards the end at Everton and we were led to believed they had agreed a few fees with certain clubs, which is disappointing. We were talking about contracts but couldn't come to an agreement. If you're going to leave, you want a club who you want to go to and who wants you. Liverpool came in and my hero was always Kenny Dalglish, and it was a chance to go and play in Europe."
Barmby admitted he knew the move would upset many but had no regrets. "For me, looking back on my career, not many people can say they played for a club as big as Everton or Liverpool, so I'm very proud of the fact I did that. I know because they are fierce rivals, not a lot of people will agree with me but I am very proud of the fact I played for Everton."
