Legends can be made on derby day and that thought will be going through the minds of Liverpool and Everton players as they prepare for tomorrow’s clash at Anfield.
Everton are slowly recovering from their wretched start to the season - they’ve won three matches in a row since Sam Allardyce’s appointment was announced - and will enter the derby with confidence.
As for Liverpool, they will simply hope for a repeat of last season’s home contest. Goals from Sadio Mane, Philippe Coutinho and Divock Origi sealed a 3-1 win on April Fools’ Day.
Jurgen Klopp appears to have Everton’s number. The German boss has won all three of his encounters against the Toffees and, with Liverpool’s attack firing on all cylinders right now, he’ll be hopeful of extending his perfect record tomorrow.
But there was a time when the derby wasn’t quite so one-sided.
The two clubs played out a series of close games in the late 2000s and one of Everton’s finest wins over the Reds came in 2006, when they swept their opponents aside with a 3-0 win at Goodison Park.
It’s a game that Jamie Carragher will never, ever forget, for it left him completely demoralised.
The former centre-back was tortured by Andy Johnson, who scored a brace. Carragher would call it “the worst derby I ever played in” in 2016.
Gerrard text Carragher three words afterwards
The 39-year-old continued to reflect on those wounds in his latest column for the Telegraph.
Carragher revealed that he was sent a three-word text message from Steven Gerrard, who could see how distraught the defender was after his performance.
“When I think of my derby experiences as Liverpool player, the negative feelings stay with me as vividly as the numerous victories,” Carragher said.
“There was one particular 3-0 defeat at Goodison Park in 2006, Andy Johnson scoring twice.
'I received a text message...'
“We had a European game a few days later so we had arranged to stay together as a squad, gathered in Beetham Plaza in Liverpool city centre.
“When we were all sitting there for dinner, all I could think about was my poor performance in the game. We had lost heavily and I felt like I was to blame.
“I did not want to speak to anyone. I could not concentrate on doing anything. I was in a daze. As we say in the game, ‘my head was gone’. I received a text message.
“‘Forget about it,’ it said. Steven Gerrard was sitting virtually opposite me, but could tell just by looking at me how I was thinking.
“I would have known had he felt the same way.
“Other players in the squad would be educated as to what the game meant, how it can affect you, but it was born and bred into us.”
Watch: Everton 3-0 Liverpool highlights
This is someone who grew up a diehard Everton fan. Don’t every say the Merseyside derby doesn’t matter.