Michael Owen Bio Send To Friend  

Still one of the most respected if not most feared strikers in the game, doubt was cast over Michael Owen's future in December 2008 as he entered the last six months of his contract at Newcastle United.

After months of speculation Owen revealed his intention to wait until to the end of the 2008-09 season before deciding whether to sign the new contract Newcastle had tabled. But ultimately he decided that he would move on from the club after their relegation and was linked with a shock move to Old Trafford, where he would be given the chance to sign a pay-as-you-play deal.

Owen first burst onto the scene in 1997 when he made his debut for Liverpool against Wimbledon, soon becoming the hottest property in the British game. Capped for his country as its then youngest ever player, he emerged as one of the stars of France '98 and of course scored an amazing goal - his solo effort against Argentina in the second round.

The Chester-born striker was voted the PFA Young Player of the Year in 1997-98, and was voted the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1998. Injuries began to strike, with muscle strains being a particular problem. Owen's high watermark came when he returned to his best in May 2001 when he scored two in the FA Cup final as the Reds beat Arsenal 2-1.

And in red-hot form he hit a hat-trick against Germany in Munich when England historically triumphed 5-1 in a World Cup qualifier in 2001. The last Englishman to have scored three against Germany was Sir Geoff Hurst in the 1966 World Cup final at Wembley. He was awarded the European Footballer of the Year award in 2001 for a truly stunning year.

On his return from Euro 2004, where he failed to hit the heights of World Cup 2002, let alone France 98, and with just one year left on his contract, he departed Anfield for Real Madrid for a paltry £8m. It's perhaps ironic that Real would win nothing while Liverpool were crowned champions of Europe in 2004-05.

His one season in Spain was not the happiest. In the first half of the season he struggled to get a look-in and despite playing in a three-pronged attack after Christmas it was never felt he had the support of the management.

Newcastle then smashed their transfer record for Owen, parting with £17m in August 2005 to rescue him from exile with Real Madrid. However, a succession of injuries meant his time on Tyneside had been marked more by frustration than goalscoring exploits.

A broken foot and a cruciate knee ligament injury sustained at Germany 2006 and muscle strains associated with those were followed by a hernia problem which required surgery and a bout of the mumps limited his Premier League appearances.

Doubts surfaced over Owen's future following the departure of Keegan in the August 2008 and with uncertainty over the long-term ownership of Newcastle he decided to see out his contract and leave on a free.

Manchester United swooped in a shock move and Owen had a medical at Old Trafford in July 2009, with the deal confirmed on July 3, the surprise move of the summer.