Michael Owen is regarded as one of the most celebrated English strikers of recent times. However his career has been riddled with a lot of ups and downs and the former Liverpool star is now set to retire from football at the end of the current season.
Born in Chester to professional football player Terry Owen, Michael Owen caught the eye of several youth scouts from an early age. He played for the Liverpool youth team in the 1995-96 season at the age of 16. On the sixth of May 1997, Owen scored his first goal for Liverpool on debut against Wimbledon.
The following season, he won the Premier League golden boot playing for Liverpool and was also named PFA Young Player of the Year. He repeated his feat of winning the Golden Boot the next season, although he suffered an injury before the end of the campaign.
In 2001, Owen played the central role in Liverpool’s treble, where the club won the League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup. This was also the year in which the Englishman won the World Player of the Year and the European Player of the Year awards for his achievements. It was the year in which Michael Owen’s reputation was at its pinnacle, as he was being seen as one of the most prolific strikers in the world.
On 29th December 2001, he scored his 100th goal for the club. His skill and hard-work made him one of the highest earning footballers in the English Premier League. On 26th April 2003, Michael Owen scored his 100th Premier League goal against West Bromwich Albion, leading his club to a League Cup victory the same season.
Liverpool’s failure to qualify for the Champions League paralleled with a lean patch for Owen that included an ankle injury that he suffered in a game against Arsenal. On 15th February 2004, he scored his 150th goal for Liverpool, helping the club to secure a Champion’s League spot at the end of the season. On 13th August 2004, Michael Owen was signed by Spanish giants Real Madrid for a fee of £8 million, departing from a club in which he had been the top-scorer in every single season he had fully played in.
His stint at Real Madrid was less glittery when compared to that at Liverpool, where after a slow start, the English striker managed to get the ball at the back of the net on 18 occasions, after featuring in 41 matches. He moved back to the Premier League the following season, this time in a Newcastle shirt. He stayed at the club for the next four years, scoring 30 goals in 79 appearances, often being plagued by injury.
In 2009, he joined Manchester United looking to revive his career but managed only 17 goals in 52 appearances, as he had to spend most of the time on the sidelines. He now plays for Stoke City and is expected to retire at the end of the season after an uneventful campaign.
Apart from this, Michael Owen also boasts 40 goals for the Three Lions in 69 appearances, spreading from 1998 to 2008. But the question remains that at the end of his career, will he be remembered for his heroics with Liverpool or his struggles once he joined Real Madrid?
The following season, he won the Premier League golden boot playing for Liverpool and was also named PFA Young Player of the Year. He repeated his feat of winning the Golden Boot the next season, although he suffered an injury before the end of the campaign.
In 2001, Owen played the central role in Liverpool’s treble, where the club won the League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup. This was also the year in which the Englishman won the World Player of the Year and the European Player of the Year awards for his achievements. It was the year in which Michael Owen’s reputation was at its pinnacle, as he was being seen as one of the most prolific strikers in the world.
On 29th December 2001, he scored his 100th goal for the club. His skill and hard-work made him one of the highest earning footballers in the English Premier League. On 26th April 2003, Michael Owen scored his 100th Premier League goal against West Bromwich Albion, leading his club to a League Cup victory the same season.
Liverpool’s failure to qualify for the Champions League paralleled with a lean patch for Owen that included an ankle injury that he suffered in a game against Arsenal. On 15th February 2004, he scored his 150th goal for Liverpool, helping the club to secure a Champion’s League spot at the end of the season. On 13th August 2004, Michael Owen was signed by Spanish giants Real Madrid for a fee of £8 million, departing from a club in which he had been the top-scorer in every single season he had fully played in.
His stint at Real Madrid was less glittery when compared to that at Liverpool, where after a slow start, the English striker managed to get the ball at the back of the net on 18 occasions, after featuring in 41 matches. He moved back to the Premier League the following season, this time in a Newcastle shirt. He stayed at the club for the next four years, scoring 30 goals in 79 appearances, often being plagued by injury.
In 2009, he joined Manchester United looking to revive his career but managed only 17 goals in 52 appearances, as he had to spend most of the time on the sidelines. He now plays for Stoke City and is expected to retire at the end of the season after an uneventful campaign.
Apart from this, Michael Owen also boasts 40 goals for the Three Lions in 69 appearances, spreading from 1998 to 2008. But the question remains that at the end of his career, will he be remembered for his heroics with Liverpool or his struggles once he joined Real Madrid?
