Bradford City academy chief Archie Christie has revealed how Liverpool allowed new Everton signing George Green to slip through their hands. Christie insists Green, who had an earlier trial with the Anfield club, was adamant he did not want to return.

"He said he'd rather stay at Bradford than go to Liverpool," he told the Liverpool Echo. "He had been last year and was just told he wasn't big enough, he wasn't strong enough etc.

"That made my job much easier. It was down to Arsenal, Everton, Rangers, Tottenham and Southampton. Davie Moyes phoned me and we had already agreed an offer for Spurs, but he asked to at least have the chance to speak to him.

"So we took him to the Merseyside derby on Saturday. They told him this is the People's Club and that you're either red or blue in Merseyside, and he said 'I'm a Blue'."