Everton chief executive Robert Elstone has admitted the club would consider a ground-sharing arrangement with Liverpool after plans for a move to Kirkby were rejected.

Both clubs have previously been reluctant to go down the route of sharing a stadium, however Elstone has revealed Everton are not against the idea, if it makes financial sense.

He said: “It’s certainly one of the options that we will need to cover. A shared stadium is perhaps an option if it’s affordable.

“We have to look at where we can raise money, because potentially Liverpool will have to obviously contribute to that, and Liverpool City Council perhaps might need to find some money.

“Our history is one of creativity and innovation and if we are the first major English club to look at sharing then we’re not scared of making those decisions.”

Liverpool’s plans to build a new €385million stadium in Stanley Park have been hit be a number of delays and the project was put on hold due to the worldwide recession last year.

Liverpool’s deputy executive director Peter Shaw played down the possibility of the city’s two clubs sharing a stadium.

He said: “It’s not on our agenda at the moment. Liverpool are progressing forward with our own stadium. That is the position we are still in.

“The LFC stadium is quite far progressed and once the financial markets reopen for business the LFC stadium will progress further.”

When asked whether the idea of a groundshare with Everton could be a possibility, he said: “That’s not for me to answer.”