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Owen opens up about his emotional move from Liverpool

Former Liverpool striker Michael Owen opened up about how he was in all tears when he made his sensational move to Madrid from the Merseyside.

Michael Owen


Bengaluru, January 16: Former Liverpool striker Michael Owen opened up about how he was in all tears when he made his sensational move to Madrid from the Merseyside.

Owen had set up himself up as one of Liverpool's best strikers of all time during 1997 and 2004, scoring 158 goals in 297 appearances for the Reds through the span of seven seasons and even won the prestigious Ballon dor winner with them.

However, after the appointment from Rafa Benitez, the striker became surplus to requirements and had to endure a limited role under the Spanish boss which opted him to choose other options, and that was when Madrid came calling.

Owen left Anfield for Real Madrid for a star-studded team which included the likes of English stars David Beckham and Jonathan Woodgate as well as players like Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos etc.

However in spite of being offered the opportunity to play with the galacticos the choice to move to the Spanish capital didn't come effectively to the former England striker, who in an interview had conceded that he turmoiled over the move and eventually ended up in tears during his way to the air terminal.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Owen said, "When Real Madrid asked me to join them in 2004, part of me was flattered and part of me was in turmoil."

"Who wouldn't want to play with them? But my mind chopped and changed and my thought process was going back and forth. I decided I had to go, but even so, I was pretty much crying all the way from my home to the airport. Part of me never wanted to leave."

Owen was a relative hit in Spain, scoring 13 goals for the La Liga club but mostly as a substitute. Therefore to revive his career he made a move back to England with Newcastle United before securing a late move to Liverpool's arch-rival Machester United.

Owen's arrival at the Old Trafford caused a lot of stir among the Liverpool fans as most of the Reds regards the former English forward as their club legend. The Ballon d'Or winner, however, never made it big at United in his three years stay as he played in only 52 games in his United stint, scoring just 17 times but won his only Premier League title with them in 2010-11.

Story first published: Tuesday, January 16, 2018, 14:28 [IST]
Other articles published on Jan 16, 2018