STEPHEN Warnock could spark a family feud tomorrow if he and Rovers succeed in bursting Everton's bubble.

The former Liverpool defender returns to Merseyside, desperate to get one over the old enemy from across Stanley Park.

But if he and Rovers return with all three points from their trip to Goodison then Warnock can expect to receive a frosty reception from his older brother, Neil, who is such an ardent Everton fan, he puts his love for his favourite football club ahead of the advancement of his younger sibling's career!

Cast your minds back to the summer of 2005, when Liverpool and Everton were locked in a bitter battle for a Champions League place.

The Blues had just finished fourth in the Premiership, one place above Liverpool in the league table, but Rafa Benitez's side then went on to win the Champions League, beating AC Milan on an unforgettable night in Istanbul.

For a spell, it looked like Liverpool would be denied the chance to defend their crown in Europe the following season, with Everton in line to take the fourth Champions League place awarded to English clubs instead, based on their final league position.

As UEFA deliberated over who should get the place, the battle lines were firmly drawn on Merseyside.

But, instead of siding with his older brother Stephen, who was a member of the triumphant Liverpool squad at the time, Neil's feet were firmly planted in the Blues' camp, as brotherly love went out of the window.

However, the Rovers defender enjoys the family rivalry that exists between him and his brother.

"I think at the time he was thinking Liverpool shouldn't have been in it," said Warnock.

"If it had to be one or the other, he'd have chosen Everton, it doesn't matter to him! As long as Everton were in, he didn't mind."

In the end, both Liverpool and Everton ended up getting a place in the Champions League that season as UEFA tweaked their rules to accommodate both.

And it was Stephen who quickly had the bragging rights over Neil (no relation to the former Sheffield United manager!) as Everton failed to get beyond the first qualifying round.

But just how did Stephen come to support Liverpool in the first place when he grew up in a house full of Evertonians?

"My dad's an Evertonian, as are a lot of my friends and my brother-in-law," said the Rovers defender.

"I was a red, my grandad and a friend who lived on my street were both Liverpool fans, he had a ticket for the Kop one day, I went along and that was that.

"I went to Goodison a lot with my dad and brother because I could get a season ticket there but not at Anfield.

"I used to go just to watch football and to support the away teams every game - and it meant I'd always have a ticket for the derby.

"My brother will support Everton tomorrow, but my dad will be supporting Blackburn.

"That's the way my brother is - it's a bit of fun. Deep down, he probably wants me and Blackburn to do well.

"In an ideal world, he'd go for Everton to win 4-3, me to score a hat-trick and get man-of-the-match. But that's unlikely!"

Despite his allegiance to the red half of Merseyside, Warnock has a grudging respect for Everton, and what they have achieved under David Moyes.

But, encouraged by Rovers' promising start to the season, he believes Mark Hughes' side are now more than capable of challenging them for a top six spot, and possibly even better.

"We are improving the squad all the time, people have been surprised by the signings the manager has made, and how well they've done," he added.

"The manager is trying to build the squad slowly - he hasn't added much because the quality is there - but we see ourselves as a team who can break into the top six, then hopefully in the long-run into the top four."