United at the Manchester Masters

The event, held at the AO Arena on Friday 5 September, brought together ex-pros in a round-robin tournament, with the winners to be decided on the night.

Webber and Bardsley were joined in the United side by the likes of Louis Saha, Darron Gibson and Chris Eagles.

They met teams representing Liverpool, Everton and Manchester City, but there were no doubts who the ex-Reds were most looking forward to coming up against.

"Probably the blue half of Manchester," Bardsley admitted wryly. "Obviously, they've got some big lads, some good players, so it'll be a good test for us and something I'm looking forward to."

Webber agreed, stating: "They've got, probably, on paper, the strongest squad in terms of age and fitness and so on, so that's our biggest challenge, I reckon."

The Masters is similar to regular five-a-side games, only with six players on each team, and seven minutes for each half, with the ball rarely going out of play.

Another quirk sees teams forced to keep one player in the opposite half of the pitch at all times, setting up an intense defensive assignment and plenty of fast breaks when the ball does turn over.

Speaking ahead of the tournament, Bardsley said: "I've not played a competitve game for a while, so I'm looking forward to it.

"I've not played Masters before, I believe it's quite intense, so listen, I'll take the challenge on and try to enjoy it."

Both players highlighted the intensity they were expecting, but also the enjoyment they get out being back around former team-mates, with many also linking up for our recent Legends games against Celtic over the past 12 months.

"It's always good when we come together," Webber added. "We've been in the dressing room and had a nice bit of time together. But looking at the pitch, because the ball rarely goes out, it'll be a good test for us."

Unfortunately, Webber’s initial tip was on the money, with our crosstown rivals, featuring the likes of Joleon Lescott, Shaun Wright-Phillips, David James and Nedum Onuoha, lifting the silverware at the AO Arena on the night.

Despite a flurry of goals from Webber across the fixtures, and an all-round strong performance both creatively and defensively from Bardsley, the Blues won out on this occasion.

Luckily, there’s a chance for redemption just around the corner, as Ruben Amorim’s Reds travel to the Etihad Stadium this weekend to face Pep Guardiola’s side in the Premier League.

"Listen, we've got to come together," Webber said, looking ahead to that game. "Every new game gives you a fresh opportunity to start a run, start a good story, and it never comes bigger than a derby."

"There's lots of room for improvement for both sides," Bardsley added. "But both sides have got new players coming in, trying to adapt to the league and the system. It's a game I'm sure both teams see they could win and, hopefully, it's the red side."

Webber concurred, adding: "Obviously, it's been up and down, but there's an excitement.

"I've loved what the new signings have been bringing, that's brought a renewed optimism, but that's got to then convert into winning football matches, and then everyone can relax.

"There's a natural nervousness from the supporters and from everybody involved with the club. The only way that settles it is by winning games, and everyone being able to relax."