Everton Album: Wrestling Westerveld

Remember the derby when Jeffers and Westerveld went toe to toe?

Merseyside derbies are renowned as being among the feistiest of world football's high profile clashes.

In fact, they have yielded no less than 19 red cards since the Premier League began in 1992 - the most of any fixture in the league during that time.

Three of those dismissals came in 1999 when Everton recorded a historic 1-0 Anfield win. Kevin Campbell had given the Blues an early lead and Liverpool had been frustrated in their search for an equaliser.

With a little over 15 minutes of the game left, Campbell's strike partner Francis Jeffers burst through on an Everton attack but saw his dart halted by the linesman's flag.

"I remember it clearly," Reds goalie that day Sander Westerveld later told evertonfc.com. "It was an offside and the ref had blown and I had the ball in my hand, then he ran into me.

"I tried to push him away and he had my shirt then there were a few punches."

The pair clash and are subsequently sent from the field of play

Jeffers was able to look back with a smile at the incident.

"I won on points!" he told evertontv. "I landed a few more shots than big Sander!

"The passion takes over, it got a bit heated that night but it was still enjoyable because we were on the winning side."

Both Jeffers and Westerveld were red carded for the altercation and Steven Gerrard followed them down the tunnel in added time.

"It was my first derby, a big game and my first year in England," continued the Dutch custodian who would later join Everton on an emergency loan in 2006. "I'd played derbies in Holland but it was like nothing I'd played before. There was a lot of pressure and we were losing 1-0.

Sander during his brief Everton stint

"I had the ‘argument' with Franny but those things happen and I was disappointed to get the red card. I didn't think much had happened but the referee said we had raised our hands.

"I saw him a couple of times afterwards and there were no hard feelings. It wasn't a great first derby for me and a lot of people have mentioned it to me since.

"For example, one of the players I play with now in Italy found the picture on Google and put it up in the dressing room! Even 10 years on, I am reminded of the game.

"It looks like I am taking all the punches so it doesn't make me look bad!"