IT’S 10 years ago today since The Halliwell Jones Stadium soaked up a Reds invasion.

Warrington Wolves’ dabble into sharing their new home with a Premier League reserve team paid off big time when 10,546 football fans packed into the Winwick Road venue to see Liverpool’s second string host Manchester United counterparts in a title-winning campaign.

Five top-class Premier League players and a host of future stars were on show that night in an incident-packed contest deserving of its unique atmosphere, with United fans rammed into the South Stand giving as good as they got to the Liverpool lot taking up most of the other three sides.

Gary Ablett’s Liverpool, 2-0 winners, gave 90-minute run-outs to experienced internationals Xabi Alonso and Harry Kewell as well as 45 minutes each to senior defenders Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel on their return from injury.

If that was not enough, a United side coached by Brian McClair and Jim Ryan included Gary Neville – a man with 85 caps for England making an attempt at a comeback after setbacks during an 11-month injury lay-off.

Future Spain, England and Argentina internationals Gerard Piqué (now Barcelona), Danny Welbeck (Arsenal) and Emiliano Insua (Stuttgart) were on the field too.

When Neville was withdrawn after 61 minutes it was Warrington’s own James Chester, the Wales international, who replaced him.

For the goals, Piqué tripped Krisztian Nemeth to allow Alonso to give Liverpool a 14th-minute lead from the penalty spot, while Kewell streaked clear for the second late on.

But the killer strike only came after Skrtel and Jay Spearing had hit the bar for Liverpool, United’s Richard Eckersley had been sent off and future Leicester City Premier League winner Danny Simpson had missed a sitter from two yards.

It was quite an occasion, a rare chance to see top names strutting their stuff on Warrington soil and those in attendance lapped it up.

The defeat did not entirely spoil the experience for Birchwood boy Chester.

Nineteen at the time, the centre back and future European Championship finalist said: “It was good to play in my home town.

“I’ve been looking forward to it since the start of the season. I’d read in the Warrington Guardian that they were expecting a lot of people. My mum and dad came and a lot of my mates were ringing me in the week about tickets, so they were there too.”

Of the 27 players called on that night, 19 are still playing around the world professionally.

Among those that graced The Halliwell Jones Stadium turf are World Cup, European Championship and English Premiership winners.

Between them, they have a staggering 637 international appearances.

TEAM LINE-UPS AND THEIR CLUBS SINCE:

** Liverpool Reserves:

Dean Bouzanis: Liverpool 2007-2011, Oldham Athletic 2009-2010, Aris FC 2013, Carlisle United 2014, Western Sydney Suburbs 2014-2016, Melbourne City 2016-present.

Stephen Darby: Liverpool 2008-2012, Bradford City 2012-2017, Bolton Wanderers 2017-present.

Mikel San Jose: Liverpool 2007-2010, Athletic Bilbao 2010-present, 7 Spain caps.

Warrington Guardian:

Daniel Agger: Brondby 2004-2006, Liverpool 2006-2014, Brondby 2014-2016, 75 Denmark caps.

Warrington Guardian:

Emiliano Insua: Boca Juniors 2007, Liverpool 2007-2011, Sporting CP 2011-2013, Atletico Madrid 2013-2015, Vfb Stuttgart 2015-present, 5 Argentina caps.

Warrington Guardian:

Ryan Flynn: Liverpool 2005-2009, Falkirk 2009-2011, Sheffield United 2011-2016, Oldham Athletic 2016-2018, St Mirren 2018-present.

Xabi Alonso: Real Sociedad B 1999-2000, Real Sociedad 2000-2004, Liverpool 2004-2009, Real Madrid 2009-2014, Bayern Munich 2014-2017, 114 Spain caps.

Warrington Guardian:

Jay Spearing: Liverpool 2008-2013, Bolton Wanderers 2013-2017, Blackpool 2017-present.

Warrington Guardian:

Damien Plessis: Liverpool 2007-2010, Panathanikos 2010-2012, Arles-Avignon 2012-2014, Lausanne-Sport 2014, Chateauroux 2014-2016, Maritmo 2016, Orebro SK 2017, SS Capricorne 2018-present.

Harry Kewell: Leeds United 1996-2003, Liverpool 2003-2008, Galatasaray 2008-2011, Melbourne Victory 2011-2012, Al Gharafa 2013, Melbourne Heart 2013-2014, 56 Australia caps.

Warrington Guardian:

Krisztian Nemeth: MTK Budapest 2005-2007, Liverpool 2007-2010, Olympiacos 2010-2012, Roda JC 2012-2014, Sporting Kansas City 2015, Al-Gharafa 2016-2017, New England Revolution 2017-present, 32 Hungary caps.

Subs used:

Martin Skrtel: Trencin 2001-2004, Zenit St Petersburg 2004-2008, Liverpool 2008-2016, Fenerbahce 2016-present, 88 Slovakia caps.

Warrington Guardian:

Jordy Brouwer: Liverpool 2008-2011, ADO Den Haag 2011, Almere City 2012, HBS Craeyenhout 2012-2013, DHC Delfte 2013-present.

** Manchester United Reserves:

Tom Heaton: Manchester United 2003-2010, Cardiff City 2010-2012, Bristol City 2012-2013, Burnley 2013-present, 3 England caps.

Gary Neville: Manchester United 1992-2011, 85 England caps.

Warrington Guardian:

Gerard Piqué: Manchester United 2004-2005, Barcelona 2008-present, 94 Spain caps.

Warrington Guardian:

Richard Eckersley: Manchester United 2007-2009, Burnley 2009-2012, Toronto FC 2012-2013, New York Red Bulls 2014, 2015-2016 Oldham Athletic.

Danny Simpson: Manchester United 2006-2010, 2010-2013 Newcastle United, 2013-2014 Queens Park Rangers, Leicester 2014-present.

Tom Cleverley: Manchester United 2008-2015, Everton 2015-2017, Watford 2017-present, 13 England caps.

Sam Hewson: Manchester United 2007-2010, Altrincham 2010-2011, Fram 2011-2013, FH 2014-2016, Grindavik 2017-present.

Rodrigo Possebon: Manchester United 2008-2010, Santos 2010-2011, EC São José 2011-13, Mirassol 2013-15, Al-Riffa SC 2015-2016, UR Trabalhadore 2016-2018, Ho Chi Minh City 2018-present.

Warrington Guardian:

Sean Evans: Shrewsbury 2004, Manchester United 2004-2008, 2008-2009 Aberystwyth, 2009 Cinderford, 2009 Stourbridge, 2009-2010 Telford United, 2010-2013 Stourbridge, 2013-2016 Newtown.

Danny Welbeck: Manchester United 2008-2014, Arsenal 2014-present, 36 England caps.

Chris Eagles: Manchester United 2003-2008, Burnley 2008-2011, Bolton Wanderers 2011-2014, Blackpool 2014-2015, Charlton Athletic 2015, Bury 2015-2016, Accrington Stanley 2016-2017, Port Vale 2017, Ross County 2017-present.

Warrington Guardian:

Subs used:

James Chester: Manchester United 2007-2011, Hull City 2011-2015, 2015-2016 West Bromwich Albion, Aston Villa 2016-present, 29 Wales caps.

Federico Macheda: Manchester United 2008-2014, Cardiff City 2014-2016, Novara 2016-present.

Antonio Bryan: Manchester United 2006-2009, Altrincham 2009, Droylsden 2011-2012.