'I played for Man Utd and get grief from their supporters - Liverpool fans are different'

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Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Ince once shamed the club's supporters for their reaction to him joining Liverpool . And he put the Anfield faithful on a pedestal in comparison, crediting the Kop for their response after he departed Merseyside.

Ince, 58, eventually found his way to Wolves, who make their own trip to Anfield on Saturday. And there's no comparing his relationship with Liverpool's loyalists compared to those at Old Trafford.

The former England international, who has taken aim at United fans before , is understood to have fallen out with Sir Alex Ferguson prior to joining Inter Milan in 1995 . However, any vitriol from United fans is largely due to the fact 'The Guv'nor' later joined bitter nemeses Liverpool.

Ince captained Middlesbrough against United and later took the armband with Wolves when he again returned to Old Trafford over the years. And while he's always had a fond relationship with Liverpool's support, the same can't be said for those in Manchester.

"I get a lot of grief from Manchester United fans and I can't understand it," said Ince back in 2002. "They should remember I was part of the team that took the title back to Old Trafford for the first time in 26 years.

"I sweated blood and shed tears in my six years at United and I think I should be respected for that. But all I get is stick whenever I go there because Ferguson once called me a 'big-time Charlie' in some television programme. So now it's a case of, 'Let's wind him up again.'"

Ince, who won two Premier League titles and two FA Cups at United, went on to acknowledge he "didn't leave Liverpool in the best circumstances" after clashing with then-manager Gerard Houllier. However, it wasn't enough to make the fans turn on him.

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In fact, he put the Reds supporters in a bracket of their own when discussing the contrast between the two fanbases years later. And those in attendance for the Christmas showdown against Wolves will be hoping to prove much of his praise remains accurate to this day.

"Liverpool European nights, you can’t beat them," he said on the Blood Red podcast in 2019. “They’re special and it is iconic with all the flags. It is amazing. I think the atmosphere depends on the time, doesn’t it? When we look at Old Trafford, because it is so vast now, it is so corporate, it’s not the atmosphere that you do get at Liverpool.

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"I love the Liverpool people. They come and support the team, they know football and they back their players. But one thing about the two teams, you never see them boo their players off, or very rarely. They are understanding fans. They are different atmospheres in different ways, but I like the way Liverpool look after their players, look after their own."

Following a dire run of form in recent months, Liverpool now find themselves seeking a fourth straight win at home to Wolves. Victory on Saturday would at least temporarily take Arne Slot's men into fourth, with Chelsea set to host Aston Villa later this evening.

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