Get the FREE Mirror Football newsletter by email with the day's key headlines and transfer news Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A construction professional who worked on the renovation of Anfield's Main Stand left behind a rather unwanted surprise in the new roof.

The builder, who is a Manchester United supporter, decided it would be funny to leave a United shirt in the roof and stick a pair of figurines to one of the steel supports within the stand.

The Red Devils fanatic used a special adhesive to seal the figurines in place, ensuring miniature versions of Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs will have the best seats in the house for United's clash with Liverpool on Monday night.

The United fan, who lives in Lancashire and wished to remain anonymous, said: "I was working with a load of Scousers and I thought this would be a good way to wind them up.

"It's all just a bit of good-natured banter. There's a lot of nasty things that get said between the two sets of supporters, but I'm not about that.

"The lads I worked with were great, but every time they tested the public address system, I had to listen to You'll Never Walk Alone.

"I thought I'd leave my own mark on the stadium and remind them who was the best.

"There were quite strict rules about football colours being worn by people working on the stadium, but one day I wore mine under my hi-vis and sneaked it up.

"I had little Giggsy and Rio collectables from a few years ago and they both scored at Anfield in the past so I thought it would be nice to give them a good view of the pitch."

(Image: Mercury Press and Media Ltd)

(Image: Mercury Press and Media Ltd)

The dad-of-four had been working at the stadium for six months, but saved his mischief until just before the stand was unveiled last month.

The two bitter enemies will meet in the redeveloped 54,074-capacity Anfield for the first time this evening.

The United fan, a 42-year-old former Old Trafford season ticket-holder, said: "I basically had to reach the bits that the scaffolding couldn't get to, working on cladding and pipes and things.

"Obviously I had to be a bit careful not to get caught but it's all just a bit of fun.

"I was working on the gable end nearest to the Kop, so the thought of the shirt and the two figures overlooking it makes me smile.

"I was born in 1974, the first year United were ever relegated, and where I went to school I was one of only two United fans.

"So this is a little bit of payback I suppose for getting the mick taken out of me when I was younger and United weren't very good. It's just a bit of craic.

"The funny thing is, the very first song they played over the speakers to test them was Roll With It by Oasis, a Manchester band full of City fans.

"It was pretty surreal being 100ft high in your rivals' stadium. Everyone was aware I was a United fan and it was never an issue."

(Image: Mercury Press and Media Ltd) (Image: Mercury Press and Media Ltd)

Liverpool's next step is to increase the capacity of the Anfield Road end of the stadium, although chief executive Ian Ayre last week described the possible 15-year repayments required to finance the addition of an extra 6,000 seats as “not a smart investment for the business.”

Ayre, who will leave Anfield at the end of this season, said: "A stand behind a goal doesn’t have the benefit of hospitality that would go a long way to meet the redevelopment costs.

"If you consider the redevelopment of Anfield Road from a purely General Admission perspective, building, say, 6,000 extra seats to take the capacity up to 60,000 would cost somewhere between £60million and £70million.

(Image: Mercury Press and Media Ltd)

"At £12,000 to £13,000 per seat, it would take approximately 15 years to pay back, which is not a smart investment for the business. Therefore the Club needs to find a rounded solution that’s in the best interests of the football club."

Ayre said the club needed to find “a rounded solution” but left open the possibility of supporters investing in a proposal to extend the ground.

The prospect of supporter involvement was raised by Graham Smith, a representative for Merseyside-based supporters on the committee.

(Image: Action Images via Reuters)

Mr Smith said: “There are people who would think a 15-year return would make sense, and that’s the supporters. The supporters would fund such a development upfront if the Club made an appeal for financial support.”

He added that he was of the view that with the right relationship with investors, the £60million, or whatever the figure needed was, could be raised.

In response, Ayre said while he that was not in a position to speak for the owners or their plans, it was an interesting proposition and one worth looking at.

“We should have that conversation,” he added.

Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now