Ex-Liverpool captain Alan Hansen believes former team-mate Gary Ablett was hugely under-valued during his playing career.

Merseyside is in mourning for the 46-year-old, who is the only player to win the FA Cup with both the Reds and Everton, after his death on New Year’s Day.

Ablett, who had been battling non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma for 16 months, won two league titles with Liverpool in addition to that FA Cup and Hansen is still amazed he was allowed to leave Anfield so cheaply.

“He went to Everton in 1992. I had retired by then but I was surprised Liverpool had sold him,” the Scot said.

“He won a couple of titles and looked like he was going to be there forever. It was a benefit for Everton that they got a player of his talent and calibre for about £750,000 – which was amazing.

“If he had joined Liverpool in the late 70s or early 80s he would have been a permanent fixture. He was a dedicated, consummate professional but he was right at the top of the tree.

“I had a couple of great centre-back partnerships at Liverpool and he was as good as anything.”

Ablett played 147 times for Liverpool before making the short move to Goodison Park, where he made 156 appearances.

Hansen said it was a mark of the man that he made such an impression on both clubs and their respective supporters.

“Both sets of fans loved him,” he added.

“He had a dry sense of humour and I just remember his smiling face when he came into the dressing room. He probably felt he was lucky to be there but he was a permanent fixture.”

Another former team-mate Ian Rush said it was fitting Ablett’s death had brought both sides of Merseyside together.

“He sums up what people are like in Liverpool,” he told Sky Sports News.

“This will be exactly the same for Gary as it was in 1989 when Liverpool and Everton fans were together (for the FA Cup final). When things are going wrong Liverpool and Everton supporters stick together and that is what they will be doing on Merseyside.”

Rush agreed with Hansen’s verdict of Ablett as a player.

“Gary was a steady-Eddie player but he would never let you down,” he added.

“He was versatile and whoever he played for he always gave 100%.

“In today’s game he would be right up there with the best because these sort of players don’t come around anymore.”