Man United vs. Man City: Eight players who played for both clubs - and how fans reacted

Manchester United and Manchester City are sworn rivals and with that in mind, very few players cross the line by playing for both teams.

The rivalry is too strong for that, and this is why the small number of players who have played for both clubs stand out so much.

Ahead of Sunday's tantalising Premier League Manchester derby, Sports Mole looks back at these players and how fans reacted.

Denis Law

The late Denis Law is United's third-highest goalscorer of all time, scoring 237 goals in 11 years at Old Trafford. However, when United let him go in 1973, he signed for City.

In April 1974, Law scored a backheel goal against his old club, sending United down to the second division, but did not celebrate, with his face showing sadness, not joy, while he asked to come off straight after scoring.

It was his last-ever kick as a professional, as United fans stormed the pitch in anger, and the game had to be stopped.

Even so, United fans never blamed Law, and many still see him as one of their favourite ever players, because of how upset he looked.

Peter Schmeichel

Peter Schmeichel is one of the best goalkeepers United have ever had, winning a treble with the club in 1999, so it came as a shock when he signed for City in 2002, near the end of his career.

Many United fans saw this as a betrayal, and the anger boiled over during the 2002 derby, when Gary Neville refused to shake Schmeichel's hand before kick-off.

Schmeichel later said the move was just about bringing his family back to Manchester, not about disrespecting United, and most fans have forgiven him over time, but that handshake moment is still remembered.

Carlos Tevez

Carlos Tevez played on loan at United for two years and was loved by the fans, but in 2009, he turned down a permanent deal and signed for City instead.

City then put up a huge billboard of Tevez near Manchester Piccadilly station, saying "Welcome to Manchester", and many saw this as a direct insult to United.

United fans turned against Tevez quickly, and things got worse in 2012 when Tevez held up a sign reading "RIP Fergie" during City's title parade.

He apologised afterwards, but also said some critical things about Ferguson in interviews. Because of this, many United fans have never really forgiven him, even years later.

Andy Cole

Andy Cole scored 93 goals for United and won five league titles, and by the time he joined City in 2005, he was 33 and near the end of his career.

He still scored 10 goals in 23 games for City, but this move caused little anger, because it happened so long after his best years at United.

Andrei Kanchelskis

Kanchelskis was a fast, exciting winger for United in the early 1990s that left in 1995 after falling out with the club.

He played for several other teams before a short, quiet spell at City in 2001. By then his best days were behind him, so the move did not cause much of a reaction from either set of fans.

Owen Hargreaves

Owen Hargreaves joined United in 2007 and played a big part in winning the 2008 Champions League. But injuries stopped him from playing regularly.

When his contract ended in 2011, he signed for City instead of West Brom. However, he barely played for City before being released, and fans on both sides felt more sympathy than anger, since injuries were the real reason things did not work out.

Brian Kidd

Brian Kidd is one of the few players respected by fans of both clubs. He came through United's academy and scored in the 1968 European Cup final on his 19th birthday.

Kidd later had a spell playing for City, and after that, he returned to United as Alex Ferguson's assistant manager during the club's most successful years, before later managing City himself.

Because he is a Manchester-born, "football" man rather than a rival, both sets of fans see him kindly.

Terry Cooke

Terry Cooke came through United's academy but only played a few first-team games, spending time on loan before settling permanently at City, where he played 37 games and scored eight goals.

His career never reached a high enough level to cause any real reaction from fans, making him more of a quiz question than a big story.