Former Liverpool star Michael Owen talks about his decline in the second half of his playing career, admitting that he is “embarrassing” with his performance like Manchester United
Michael Owen was opened up to mentally dealing with his decline late in his Manchester United career. The former England striker feels “embarrassing” by how dramatically his level has dropped later in the day of his playing days, and admits that it “kills him.”
Owen appeared in the 17-year-old Premier League scene at Liverpool and quickly established himself at the lightning pace behind his defensive and clinical finishing capabilities. He won the league’s Golden Boot Award in his first two full seasons before winning the international stage mark on a spectacular strike against the 18-year-old Argentina at the 1998 World Cup.
After playing a pivotal role in Liverpool’s treble success in the 2001 UEFA Cup, FA Cup and League Cup, he won the Ballon d’Or – he secured a move to Spain’s Giants Real Madrid in 2004.
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Owen spent one La Liga campaign before switching to Newcastle at £16.8 million. There, muscle injuries were long on the sidelines for the next four seasons of Tyneside. His fitness continued at Manchester United and later at Stoke City, with the striker finally choosing to retire in 2013.
The 45-year-old recently appeared on the Rio Presents podcast. There, former Red Devils teammate Rio Ferdinand asked him about his withdrawal from an elite environment to an unacceptable environment. Owen instead looked back on his career and explained that he saw it in two clear halves: trouble after injury and post-post issues.
The critic said: “Well, I said before, I mean, I’ll split my career into two, almost Liverpool and Madrid, and then I wasn’t the same, because I didn’t like it.
“But I’m not me. I’m not me. I know what I was when I was 18, and I know what I was when I was 30.
“Can’t you change your name and think of something and call something else? I don’t want you to remember me like this. Still, it’s fine, I’m scoring. But I wasn’t there.
Owen’s days at Liverpool saw him score more than 20 goals in every competition each season. Following Real Madrid’s 45 appearances, his numbers plummeted dramatically as injuries increased and electricity pace decreased.
Speaking about his spells at Newcastle, United and Stoke, he said frankly: “For eight years I was like, ‘I don’t like this.’ I looked at half of my career and still managed to score.
“I couldn’t tear the hearts of my team anymore. I could finish it if I had the opportunity. I now rely on everyone else. I didn’t need anyone else before. Give me the ball.
“I didn’t retire because of my body. The other day I was still playing in the game, and I retired because my mind was about to explode.
His displays failed to meet his own high standards, but Owen’s days at Manchester United offered the elusive Premier League trophy along with another League Cup victory in 2010/11. He finished his career with an impressive record of 222 goals in 482 matches, finishing with 40 goals in 89 England appearances.
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