Neville Relishes Liverpool Clash

Phil Neville says the intensity of Manchester United's rivalry with Liverpool has never dropped, regardless of their varying fortunes over the years.

The Reds welcome Brendan Rodgers' second-placed side to Old Trafford on Sunday, looking for victory to close an 11-point gap in the Barclays Premier League table.

The sides have beaten each other once this season, with United knocking Liverpool out of the Capital One Cup at home in September, three weeks after going down 1-0 in the league clash at Anfield.

It's a fixture first-team coach Neville has always relished, having played against the Merseysiders 15 times as a player with United.

"When I was in the United first team, Liverpool was the biggest game," Neville says in the latest issue of Inside United.

"The rivalry between the two teams was intense. Both clubs have great history and great success, which always made for some cracking matches. These are the games all the fans want to watch and all the players want to play in.

"Funnily enough, you normally find the little knocks and injuries players are carrying die down in the week leading up to the match. Suddenly, everybody's fit because everybody wants to play!

"This year, Liverpool have had a great season and it'll be a fantastic game but, as always, we'll be looking for maximum points."