A lot of sympathy has come the way of Michael Owen after he spoke on Saturday.
The former Newcastle player talking about his injury problems that affected his career.
The striker referring to the impact injuries had had on his playing style and ability to play.
One place where he is unlikely to get much sympathy is from those who care about Newcastle United.
Yes he had injuries but Newcastle fans soon found out that Michael Owen and England came first and second, with Newcastle United a distant third (if that!).
Michael Owen was more than happy to pick up £110,000 a week in wages at St James Park and yet put himself and England before the club and fans who paid his wages.
He then walked away at the end of his four year contract in 2009 without a backwards glance, not considering for one moment that he should take any responsibility for the relegation and help to put it right by staying on. Instead he looked after himself, as always.
Surely the prime example of his behaviour, was exposed by Paul Ferris in his excellent autobiography earlier this year.
Working as a physio at Newcastle at the time in 2009, Ferris related a conversation with Michael Owen in the relegation run-in, when the striker opted out of starting for Newcastle in the crucial final matches because he was concerned that if he got injured he might not get a contract at another club so easily, when he walked away from Newcastle (read below).
I think it is more than dozens Michael….
Needless to say, almost seven months after the publication of the Paul Ferris book, no signs at all of legal action from Michael Owen to put us all right.
“Once I did it once (a hamstring tear), I was gone really.
“I went from someone who scored goals like I did against Argentina – beating players, quick, running in channels, crossing the ball. That was me.
‘The last six or seven years of my career…I just turned into the only thing I could.
“I was petrified of running into a channel, I just knew I was going to tear a muscle.
In his excellent autobiography which came out earlier this year, Paul Ferris confirmed what all Newcastle fans think/thought of Michael Owen.
Ferris was a physio at Newcastle United back in 2009, as Newcastle vainly fought relegation.
The doctor and the three physios were sitting to my right in the medical office. Opposite me sat Michael Owen. I liked Michael and regarded him as a good professional. He’d complained of a ‘feeling’ in his groin after training, ‘like it was going to go’. He’d had a career ravaged by muscle injuries so I fully understood his caution. We’d had a scan on the area and it had picked up nothing. That was good news. Whatever it was, it wasn’t a muscle tear, which would’ve ended our best striker’s season and our best hopes of scoring goals in the last two games of it. The doctor relayed the positive news to all in the room.
It was getting silly now.
“All the sharing of Michael Owen goal against Argentina in the last day or so.
“Never forget what he is, as shown by the Paul Ferris book.
“I’ll have my time very soon, don’t worry.
It will be interesting to see what Michael Owen will do, if anything.
It seems very strange to wait five months or more to do anything, or even reply to the claims, why not back in February when the book was released?
Also, it is surely very doubtful that Paul Ferris would open himself up to any kind of legal action.
As a qualified barrister, I find it very difficult to believe, especially when it isn’t just a case of one person’s word against another, Paul Ferris saying another four people were in the room when this conversation took place.
The Twitter conversation above saw the two fans include Michael Owen so that he would see their comments on his timeline, so maybe simply a case of bravado from Owen in his reply to them.
One thing for sure anyway, whatever Michael Owen does or doesn’t do, it won’t change one little bit most Newcastle fans’ opinion of a player who was an absolute disgrace at NUFC, only one person should be hanging his head in shame.
11 May 2009 Newcastle have a must win game against Middlesbrough in their relegation struggle (third last game of season), Michael Owen starts but contributes little. Boro take a shock lead before Steven Taylor scores an equaliser. Owen is subbed on 70 minutes with the score still 1-1, his replacement Obafemi Martins scores within seconds of coming on and Lovenkrands adds another for a 3-1 win.
16 May 2009 If Newcastle can beat Fulham at St James Park they would be hot favourites to now stay up. Michael Owen nowhere in the squad, as per (Paul Ferris explanation of) reasons above…Newcastle lose 1-0 as chances go begging after their best striker opts not to play.
14 June 2009 Reported that Michael Owen’s management company, Wasserman Media Group, had sent out a 34 page brochure advertising Owen to several targeted potential clubs.
22 June 2009 Michael Owen confirms he has no intention of helping Newcastle get promotion after being one of those chiefly responsible for the relegation. He says that, rather than showing any loyalty to Newcastle, he is looking for a move to a Premier League club, or a top foreign club.
30 June 2009 Michael Owen’s contract comes to an end. He has started only 58 Premier League matches and scored 26 goals. He has been paid at least £22m in wages…you do the maths.
3 July 2009 Michael Owen signs a two year deal to go and sit on Manchester United’s bench (starts 6 PL games in total for Man U).
So a £16m transfer fee and £22m minimum in wages, plus whatever other associated costs (agents, bonuses, whatever), we are looking at £40m wasted on Michael Owen, the return being 26 Premier League goals in those 58 PL starts, and relegation.
Michael Owen also ensuring Newcastle received not a penny in transfer fee either, as he ran out his contract.