 Fowler was born in Toxteth , Liverpool and brought up in the inner city area of Liverpool . At this time he was known as Robert Ryder , his mother 's surname . He lived in Toxteth at the time of the 1981 Toxteth riots , when he was six years old . As a <unk> he supported Everton <unk> .. He played regularly for schoolboy team <unk> , and once scored 16 times in a 26 – 0 <unk> . 
