‘I am not loved’ - Michael Owen makes fresh ‘booing’ claim after Newcastle United move
Michael Owen believes history has been “rewritten” while referencing his move to Newcastle United.
It is no secret that Toon fans have no love for their former record signing. When Owen arrived, he was met by thousands of Newcastle supporters reminiscent of Alan Shearer’s arrival nine years earlier.
However, his legacy could not be further from the club’s all-time leading goalscorer. Several injuries and comments made following his exit have not endeared Owen to United fans.
The former England international revealed he had a clause in his contract that allowed him to rejoin Liverpool each summer. Following relegation in 2008-09, Owen clearly outlined his intention to abandon ship after making just 58 starts over four years - and banking around £20million in wages.
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He was given a hostile reception on his St James’ Park return 18 months later. Then plying his trade for Manchester United, this was also seen as treason within Liverpool quarters.
However, the ex-striker has insisted hostility from Merseyside preceded his Old Trafford switch. Owen revealed he faced the boo boys as a Newcastle player due to leaving for Real Madrid in 2004.
“The moment I chose to go to Real Madrid I lost control of my career and what the perceptions of it are,” he told The Telegraph. “I don’t love going to Anfield now because I know I am not loved back. I tend to only go when I am working.
“It’s not that I dread going but, for a long time, I used to bury my head when driving back to the academy to see friends. I have told myself since, ‘I should not have been feeling like that’. People say ‘It was because he signed for Manchester United’. But the whole world knows there has been some history rewritten there.
“There was resentment directed at me before then when I played for Newcastle, even though I had a clause in my Newcastle contract that I could re-sign for Liverpool every summer. The Manchester United aspect is now an easier stick to beat me with but, when I came back to Anfield for the first time as a Newcastle player, there were a few hundred, possibly a thousand supporters, booing me.
“I can’t forget how I, my parents, and my former Liverpool team-mates felt. Everyone who understood and appreciated the reality of the situation was disappointed on my behalf.”