Merge Two LinkedList

import java.util.*;

public class Sorter
{
private static <T extends Comparable<T> > LinkedList<T> merge(LinkedList<T>
list1, LinkedList<T> list2)
{
LinkedList<T> list = new LinkedList<T>();
while(!list1.isEmpty() && !list2.isEmpty())
{
if(list1.getFirst().compareTo(list2.getFirst()) < 0)
{
list.addLast(list1.removeFirst());
}
else
{
list.addLast(list2.removeFirst());
}
}
list.addAll(list1);
list.addAll(list2);
return list;
}

public static <T extends Comparable<T> > LinkedList<T> mergeSort(LinkedList<T> list)
{
LinkedList<T> leftList = new LinkedList<T>();
LinkedList<T> rightList = new LinkedList<T>();
if(list.size() <= 1)
{
return list;
}
else
{
int middle = list.size() / 2;
split(list, leftList, rightList, middle);
leftList = mergeSort(leftList);
rightList = mergeSort(rightList);
list = merge(leftList, rightList);
System.out.println("list size after merge: " + list.size());
return list;
}
}

private static <T extends Comparable<T> > void split(LinkedList<T> list,
LinkedList<T> leftList, LinkedList<T> rightList,
int middle)
{

for(int i = 1; i <= middle; ++i)
{
leftList.addLast(list.removeFirst());
}
rightList.addAll(list);
}
}