A Premier League title winner with Manchester United revealed his record transfer to Newcastle marked a downturn in his career
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 20: Michael Owen of Manchester United celebrates scoring their fourth goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford on September 20 2009, in Manchester, England.
Michael Owen's sole Premier League title triumph came at Manchester United(Image: Manchester United via Getty Images)
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Michael Owen previously admitted his record transfer to Newcastle United remains one of the biggest regrets of his career. The ex-England striker had spent just one season at Real Madrid and aimed for a return to Liverpool after only one year away from Anfield.
However, a Merseyside reunion never came to fruition but a return to the Premier League did end up materialising - with the Magpies – who paid a then-record £16.8million for Owen's services.
It was Liverpool legend Graeme Souness who forged the path for Owen to make the move to the North East but it was a career decision the former Ballon d'Or winner later admitted was a grave mistake.
In his 2019 book 'Reboot', serialised by the Mirror, Owen revealed: "My move to Newcastle was one I really regret - I should have followed my gut instincts from the start. I didn't want to go there - my heart was still set on a return to Liverpool.
"Liverpool couldn't match Newcastle's offer. From a career perspective, there was no doubt in my mind that a move to the North East was a downward step." Earning a whopping £120,000-a-week on a four-year deal, Owen's unveiling was attended by around 20,000 delighted fans.
However, the elation soon dwindled due to Owen's consistent injuries. He later admitted he realised his relationship with the St James' Park faithful could never be repaired again after re-watching a game on Match of the Day.
Michael Owen of Newcastle United in action with Lucas of Liverpool during the Barclays Premier League match between Liverpool and Newcastle United at Anfield on March 8, 2008 in Liverpool, England.
Michael Owen struggled with injuries during his stint at Newcastle(Image: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
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"I could hear Newcastle fans, my fans, singing 'what a waste of money!' as I'm being stretchered off," Owen added. "I can't deny their actions that day changed things for me. No longer was I even going to attempt to ingratiate myself with the fans.
"Instead, I flipped it in a slightly more resentful way thinking, I don't need to justify myself to f****** Newcastle fans." Owen took aim at the belief of Newcastle fans thinking they are a "big club", instead claiming their lack of trophies proves the opposite.
“This kind of blind delusion is especially true of Newcastle United – which, as I reach for the nearest tin hat, is only a big club in the sense that it has a lot of fans and a big stadium," he continued.
"They're historically not successful off the pitch, in fact quite the opposite mostly. And they've never really won much on it in recent times." After four years with the Magpies, Owen made the shock move to Old Trafford and won his only Premier League title in the 2010/11 season.
After 17 goals in 52 games for Man United, Owen rounded off his career with a season-long stint at Stoke City but managed just one goal in nine games across all competitions. Owen may tune into his two former sides clashing on Wednesday as the Magpies host the Red Devils with the latter aiming to stretch their unbeaten league streak to 12 games.
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