From European Cup winners to academy graduates, 13 players have made competitive first-team appearances for both Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.
The relationship between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest is about more than shared players. During the late 1970s, they were two of the strongest sides in Europe. Forest beat Liverpool in the 1978 League Cup final before eliminating the defending champions from the European Cup later that year.
Movement between the clubs has been less common. Stan Collymore and Nigel Clough made high-profile transfers from the City Ground to Anfield, while Neco Williams travelled in the opposite direction almost three decades later.
The list below only includes players who made at least one competitive senior appearance for each club. Youth and reserve-team records are excluded.
Here are the full list of 13 players who played for both Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.
1. Stan Collymore
- Nottingham Forest: 1993–1995 (Apps: 78 | Goals: 50), Liverpool: 1995–1997 (Apps: 81 | Goals: 35)
Stan Collymore produced the best football of his career during his two seasons at Nottingham Forest.
Signed from Southend United in 1993, he scored heavily as Forest won promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt. Collymore then struck 25 times in all competitions during 1994/95, helping the newly promoted side finish third.
Liverpool paid a British-record £8.5 million to sign him in the summer of 1995. His partnership with Robbie Fowler gave Roy Evans one of the most dangerous attacks in the country.
Collymore scored 35 goals in 81 appearances for Liverpool. His most famous moment came against Newcastle United in April 1996, when he scored twice – including the stoppage-time winner – in the first of Anfield’s celebrated 4-3 matches.
The numbers were strong, but Liverpool did not win a trophy during his two seasons. The emergence of Michael Owen also added competition in attack, and Collymore was sold to Aston Villa in 1997.
2. Larry Lloyd
- Liverpool: 1969–1974 (Apps: 218 | Goals: 5), Nottingham Forest: 1976–1981 (Apps: 214 | Goals: 12)
Bill Shankly signed the centre-back from Bristol Rovers in 1969 as a long-term replacement for Ron Yeats. Lloyd became a regular alongside Tommy Smith and did not miss a minute as Liverpool won the First Division and UEFA Cup in 1972/73.
He also scored in the first leg of the UEFA Cup final against Borussia Mönchengladbach. His place was later taken by the emerging Phil Thompson, leading to a move to Coventry City in 1974.
Brian Clough brought Lloyd to Nottingham Forest two years later. He helped the club gain promotion, win the First Division at the first attempt and lift two European Cups.
Lloyd made more than 200 appearances for each club and won major European honours with both. No player on this list achieved more across his two spells.
3. Nigel Clough
- Nottingham Forest: 1984–1993 and 1996–1997 (Apps: 412 | Goals: 131), Liverpool: 1993–1996 (Apps: 44 | Goals: 9)
Nigel Clough is best remembered as a Nottingham Forest player, rather than simply the son of the club’s greatest manager.
Capable of playing as a forward or attacking midfielder, he scored 131 goals across two Forest spells. That total places him second on the club’s all-time scoring list, behind only Grenville Morris.
Clough won consecutive League Cups in 1989 and 1990 and remained with Forest until their relegation from the Premier League in 1993. Liverpool signed him for approximately £2.25 million shortly after his father’s retirement.
His Anfield career began brilliantly. Wearing the number seven shirt, Clough scored twice on his debut against Sheffield Wednesday and later struck another brace as Liverpool recovered from 3-0 down to draw with Manchester United.
Robbie Fowler’s rapid emergence soon pushed him out of the attack. Clough made 44 appearances and scored nine goals before leaving for Manchester City in January 1996. He briefly returned to Forest on loan the following season.
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4. Neco Williams
- Liverpool: 2019–2022 (Apps: 33 | Goals: 0), Nottingham Forest: 2022–Present (Apps: 162 | Goals: 4)
Neco Williams progressed through Liverpool’s academy and made his senior debut in a remarkable 5-5 League Cup draw with Arsenal in October 2019.
The Wales international was largely used as Trent Alexander-Arnold’s understudy, which restricted his opportunities at right-back. Even so, he made 33 first-team appearances and collected winner’s medals in the Premier League, FIFA Club World Cup and League Cup.
After a productive loan at Fulham, Williams joined newly promoted Nottingham Forest in 2022 for a reported £17 million.
Regular football allowed him to develop into a more complete full-back. Williams has played on both sides of the defence and scored his first Forest goal against Liverpool at Anfield in April 2023.
His strongest campaign came in 2025/26, when he was voted Nottingham Forest’s Player of the Season. Unlike several players on this list, Williams made only a limited impact at Liverpool before establishing himself as an important player at the City Ground.
5. Divock Origi
- Liverpool: 2015–2022 (Apps: 175 | Goals: 41), Nottingham Forest: 2023–2024, loan (Apps: 22 | Goals: 1)
Divock Origi’s overall Liverpool scoring record was modest, but his timing made him a permanent part of the club’s modern history.
The Belgian scored a stoppage-time winner against Everton, twice in the 4-0 Champions League comeback against Barcelona and again in the 2019 final against Tottenham Hotspur. He later added Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup medals before leaving for AC Milan in 2022.
Forest signed Origi on loan from Milan in September 2023, hoping that his experience would strengthen a side fighting to remain in the Premier League.
The move did not work. Origi failed to score in 20 league appearances and managed only one goal in 22 matches across all competitions. That solitary strike came against Bristol City in the FA Cup.
His Forest spell ended quietly after one season. It was a sharp contrast to his years as a dependable big-game substitute at Liverpool.
6. Other Players Who Played for Both Liverpool and Nottingham Forest
Dean Saunders
- Liverpool: 1991–1992 (Apps: 61 | Goals: 25), Nottingham Forest: 1996–1997 (Apps: 43 | Goals: 5)
Saunders scored 25 times during a short Liverpool career, including nine goals in the 1991/92 UEFA Cup. He joined Forest several clubs later and scored five goals as the team were relegated from the Premier League in 1996/97.
Jonjo Shelvey
- Liverpool: 2010–2013 (Apps: 69 | Goals: 7), Nottingham Forest: 2023 (Apps: 8 | Goals: 0)
Shelvey showed flashes of his passing ability at Liverpool but never secured a permanent starting position. His Forest spell was even shorter, ending after eight appearances and a reported disagreement over his place in the team.
Nick Barmby
- Liverpool: 2000–2002 (Apps: 58 | Goals: 8), Nottingham Forest: 2004, loan (Apps: 6 | Goals: 1)
Barmby was part of Liverpool’s League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup treble-winning squad in 2000/01. He later made six appearances and scored once during a brief Forest loan from Leeds United.
Paul Konchesky
- Liverpool: 2010–2011 (Apps: 18 | Goals: 0), Nottingham Forest: 2011, loan (Apps: 15 | Goals: 1)
Konchesky followed Roy Hodgson from Fulham to Liverpool but lost his place after Kenny Dalglish became manager. He spent the second half of that season on loan at Forest, playing 15 times and scoring once.
Jack Robinson
- Liverpool: 2010–2013 (Apps: 11 | Goals: 0), Nottingham Forest: 2018–2020 (Apps: 59 | Goals: 2)
Robinson became Liverpool’s youngest first-team player at 16 years and 250 days, although he made only 11 senior appearances. He found more regular football at Forest, featuring 59 times before joining Sheffield United.
Jack Hobbs
- Liverpool: 2007–2008 (Apps: 5 | Goals: 0), Nottingham Forest: 2013–2018 (Apps: 86 | Goals: 1)
Hobbs played five times for Liverpool before building his career in the Championship. He spent five seasons at Forest, initially arriving on loan from Hull City, but repeated injuries disrupted his time at the club.
Daniel Ayala
- Liverpool: 2009–2010 (Apps: 5 | Goals: 0), Nottingham Forest: 2012–2013, loan (Apps: 14 | Goals: 1)
The Spanish centre-back made five senior appearances under Rafael Benítez. His Forest loan was also affected by injuries, limiting him to 14 matches before he later established himself at Middlesbrough.
Lee Peltier
- Liverpool: 2006–2007 (Apps: 4 | Goals: 0), Nottingham Forest: 2014, loan (Apps: 7 | Goals: 0)
Peltier appeared four times for Liverpool in cup and European competition but never played for the club in the league. Forest used him seven times during a short loan from Leeds United in 2014, including several appearances in midfield.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: How many players have played for both Liverpool and Nottingham Forest?
A: Thirteen male players have made competitive first-team appearances for both clubs. The total includes Larry Lloyd, who is missing from some databases that focus primarily on modern competitions.
Q: Which players moved directly between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest?
A: Stan Collymore and Nigel Clough joined Liverpool directly from Forest. Neco Williams completed a permanent move in the opposite direction, while Paul Konchesky moved directly from Liverpool to Forest on loan.
Q: Who achieved the most success with both clubs?
A: Larry Lloyd has the strongest combined record. He won the First Division and UEFA Cup with Liverpool before winning another league title, two League Cups and two European Cups with Nottingham Forest.
Q: Why are Taiwo Awoniyi, Tom Ince and Paul Anderson not included?
A: All three were contracted to Liverpool and later played senior football for Nottingham Forest, but none made a competitive first-team appearance for Liverpool. They therefore do not meet the criteria for this list.
Q: Who scored the most goals for Nottingham Forest among these players?
A: Nigel Clough scored 131 goals for Forest across two spells. He remains the club’s second-highest goalscorer of all time.
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