Michael Owen has opened up on struggling to deal mentally with his decline during his later football career. The former England striker admits he was “embarrassed” by how far his level had dropped during the second half of his playing days, admitting it was “killing him” inside.
Owen broke onto the Premier League scene as a mere 17-year-old with Liverpool, quickly becoming known for his blistering pace behind defences and his pinpoint finishing. He won the league’s golden boot prize in his first full season before impressing on the world stage with a spectacular goal against Argentina aged 18 at World Cup 1998. After helping Liverpool win a Treble of the UEFA Cup, FA Cup and League Cup in 2001 – which saw him win the prestigious Ballon d’Or prize – he sealed a transfer to Spanish giants Real Madrid in 2004.
Owen would spend just one season in La Liga before his £16.8million move to Newcastle, where his relentless muscle injuries saw him miss a significant chunk of the next four seasons on Tyneside. Those injuries followed him to Manchester United and then Stoke City, with the forward finally deciding to hang up his boots in 2013.
The 45-year-old recently appeared on the Rio Presents podcast, where he was asked by his former Red Devils team-mate Ferdinand about the drop off in going from an elite environment to one that isn’t. Owen instead put his own career under the microscope, saying he judges it in two halves: before and after his injuries.
The pundit said: “Well, I've said before, I mean, I sort of split my career into two. Almost Liverpool and maybe Madrid. And then afterwards, because I just wasn't the same. Not that I didn't like it. I loved it at United. I love you and the lads and whatever.
“But I'm not me. I'm not me. You know what I was when I was 18. And you know what I was when I was 30. It's like, I was half embarrassed. I'm coming out, they've been to these big stadiums, St James' Park, Old Trafford, with my name on my back.
“It's like, can I not just change my name and just think of something, like call me something else? I don't want people to remember me like this. Still good, still scoring. But I'm not what I was. It's killing me. But it's like, what can you do?”
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Owen at Liverpool scored over 20 goals in all but two of his seasons across all competitions. After netting 16 in 45 at Real Madrid, those numbers drastically reduced as he spent lengthy spells on the sidelines and lost his trademark pace.
Speaking about his stints at Newcastle, United and Stoke, he added: “I had it for eight years, when I'm thinking, ‘I don't like this.’ I was looking at the clock half of my career, thinking only 20 minutes. And I could still score. I could still play well. I couldn't rip a team's heart out anymore. I could just finish if I get the opportunity. I'm relying on everyone else now. Whereas I used to be able to, I didn't need anyone else. Just give me the ball and I'll do it. And that change of mentality.
“I didn't retire because of my body. I still played in a game the other day. I retired because my mind was about to explode. And I couldn't have it anymore that I was just a Premier League player.”
Despite his performances falling short of his own expectations, Owen’s time with Manchester United saw him win an elusive Premier League trophy in 2010/11, as well as another League Cup. He ended his career with an impressive tally of 222 goals in 482 appearances, along with 40 goals across 89 England caps.
Listen to the full Rio Meets Michael Owen interview on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.