http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/12/07/michael-owen-liverpool_n_2257648.html?utm_hp_ref=liverpool "Michael Owen has said he was overplayed by Liverpool at the beginning of his career, hampering chances of him becoming a "better player". Owen scored on his Reds debut at the age of 17 in 1997 and was selected by England manager Glenn Hoddle for the World Cup the following year after a storming start to his career. But despite winning four trophies in his Anfield career Owen was blighted by injuries and rarely resembled the pacy striker who terrorised defenders when he emerged into his 20s. "I certainly feel I played 'Too Much Too Soon'," he said on his blog. "I cringe when I look back on a quote I came out with after Gerard Houllier 'rested' me for a game. 'I will rest when I'm 40' I muttered in an interview. "How wrong could I be? You can't force nature and nature has certainly forced me to "rest" far more than I would have wanted in the second half of my career. Looking back on my career thinking what might have been there is no doubt I would have won more honours had I signed for Manchester United as a youngster. "I am pretty confident I would have been at the height of my powers over a longer period of time too. But would I change anything if I could rewind the clock? Not a chance! The best years of my life were at Liverpool." Owen's former manager Sir Alex Ferguson recently remarked the 32-year-old succumbing to injuries [he has made just four substitute appearances for Stoke City this season] was owed to his Liverpool days and the forward agreed. "I have to agree with most [of what Ferguson said] except the usage of the word 'better'. In my opinion, had I been managed differently I would have been at my best for longer as opposed to being a better player. "As a youngster, I was considered exceptional and in many ways, that was to my detriment. While I was playing every game available to me, there was another young kid in the Liverpool academy called Steven Gerrard who was also showing huge potential. "Unlike me, who was playing 80-odd games a year, Stevie just couldn't stay fit. I am convinced that this played to his advantage in the long run. I couldn't get enough of it. I would play a full season with Liverpool and then once the season was over, while everyone wrapped their best youngsters up to have a summer break, I was jetting off to play for England, sometimes playing three years above my age group at the highest level. This continued for a few years. I played week in, week out without a break, for years." We always thought he only looked out for himself, but here we are, proof that it was always Owen 1st, England 2nd, Liverpool 3rd. He compares himself to Stevie, which is stupid. Stevie had a well documented mechanical movement problem that took several years' work to resolve. Consequently, Stevie was rarely fit. By comparison, Owen had no such problems. Perhaps he was overplayed a bit, but his real problems occurred only after he left Livepool for Real Madrid. Strangely he didn't moan about Real's treatment of him, or of Newcastle's. Or even England's. Mind you, when you **** your knee up badly, the last thing you should do is crawl off the pitch. Perhaps he should look in the mirror a wee bit and find that his actions were also to blame...
He may be right and in hindsight he should have played less, probably. However, anyone of his age and ability with the chance to play regularly would never want to be rested, so I don't know why he is being such a b!tch.
I'm not the CEO of some major multi-national because some manager, who I didn't like and didn't like me, gave me a poor appraisal and that has ruined the rest of my career! Crock of ****!! Just like Owen
I still have time for Owen. He gave LFC 12 yrs of his life and was brilliant. Playing football is his job - the whole loyalty bollocks is just that - bollocks.
I disagree. Nobody asked him to sacrifice himself or his future for LFC but a little respect would not have gone amiss!
I can't agree. Just because we don't see loyalty much these days doesn't make it bollocks. Particularly since the 80's (Thatcherism-don't get me started), the culture of self-interest over the greater good has been pushed relentlessly to the point where we hardly have a society any more- just a collection of individuals. That's what's bollocks.
I'm not sure I'd agree but I don't automatically expect it from a player. but then again loyalty works two ways, lets say LFC worked the way he did: he was a commodity, he got paid what he asked for during the time he was here and he provided LFC with the contribution we expected during that time all well and good. negotiations broke down; he left. How his physical state deteriorated after he left was no longer LFC's concern, he made sure of that. If he's stayed like say Stevie & his time on the pitch went the same way them yes we could look at judging LFC for not getting the most out of their asset. But he did not stay so we do not care. Taking care of a commodity like the human body has come on leaps and bounds since Owen was at LFC. As long as a club is doing all it can on the prep side they can play the commodity as many times as they bloody like. Any consideration a club has should only be on getting as much for as long out of a player as possible. Logic would suggest that means protecting the player from injury but once we deem that player no longer of use they go away. It's not like they're pit ponies for feck sake; if they've not gambled it all away a PL player usually leaves a club a couple of million richer. Won't feel sorry if they wince getting out of the bed in the morning at my age.
Messi made his league debut at 17 and has been playing constantly since and he has had no problems, in fact, Messi has played more games at barca then Owen did at Liverpool and he is currently younger then Owen was when he left. Owen is talking ****
Think it all depends on the body and how you take care of it and all that. Bit of luck probably too. Pele was 17 when he broke through and back then they didn't have anywhere near the kind of fitness education and technology to recover the body as they do now. Plus the refs back then let players kick the **** out of players like him, maradona, etc. Think it is a bit of luck with doing the correct things to keep your body in growing and developing at the right stages.
.. and he didn't have the growth problems that Messi had, that has surely not done any good for his knees! Basically, Owen is looking for excuses to cover up the fact that he made a bad decision by leaving Liverpool. As Dave said though... Who the hell cares about Owen anymore?
Owen's game was about speed more so than skill(Fowler being the opposite of that), maybe he should have tried Olympic sprint racing instead, he wouldn't be as rich as he is now but at least he'd be happy and able to run and catch a bus.
You've got to feel sorry for him. World famous as a teenager, multi millionaire, never has to work again but can still walk into a job as a TV pundit despite being less charismatic than a cucumber sarnie. Ain't life a bitch?
