Michael Owen has spoken out about his time at Newcastle United, with the former striker claiming his heart was always with rivals Liverpool.
The 2001 Ballon d’Or winner infamously joined the Toon from Real Madrid in what was then a club-record deal, though Owen’s time at Newcastle didn’t go to plan in the slightest.
The forward struggled badly with injuries and for form, with Owen also reportedly turning up to training in a helicopter, which the now-pundit was asked about on the Up Front podcast with Simon Jordan.
When asked about the helicopter incident, Owen said: “It was an own goal in a way. But, again, something like this is taken so out of context. I lived up there. I am a massive family man.
“By that time, we had two kids and my eldest was starting school, with all due respect I thought I might be going to Liverpool in the next summer, because in my contract each summer I could go to Liverpool.”
When Jordan replied: “So your heart isn’t really there though, is it?”, Owen responded with: “No, my heart is in Liverpool.”
To which the former Crystal Palace owner said: “Newcastle are like a gatekeeper for you, they are just there because they are the club that will sign you. All you are doing is treading time waiting for the opportunity to go back to Liverpool.”
Owen replied: “Is that bad? I mean it doesn’t mean you try less but let’s not confuse this with I’m here and I’ll just pick up money and I won’t try. Kevin Keegan came in and I was scoring goal after goal after goal. I was club captain for a time.
“The helicopter nonsense was that I am a family man, when I got a day off and my kids were starting school, I knew that I wasn’t going to live in Newcastle when I retired.
“My home, friends and family have always been in Chester so when I am playing on a Saturday, to be able to fly them up was a lovely thing to do.
“I never used to see my wife every week, for her to fly up with the two kids. All this nonsense that I was flying into training every day is what it is. It’s a total nonsense, I lived up there.”
Newcastle fans won’t be receptive to Michael Owen’s comments
To say Owen might have shot himself in the foot with this interview with Newcastle fans might be something of an understatement.
The former Liverpool and England striker has don’t little to help his reputation with Newcastle supporters, and questions will be raised over his latest comments of his time at the club.
Indeed, the attacker knows he won’t win much sympathy from fans, and these comments have seemingly dug Owen deeper into a hole he can now no longer escape from.
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