I didn't snub Reds - Owen

[Craig 6700]

Michael Owen insists he did not "snub" a move to Liverpool to join Newcastle - and admits the suggestion he did makes his "blood boil".

 

The England striker left Anfield for Real Madrid in 2004 - but after failing to nail down a first-team place with the Galacticos, moved back to the Premiership this summer in a £17m move to St James' Park.

 

However he said: "I don't have a short fuse but one thing guaranteed to make my blood boil is when Liverpool fans ask me why I snubbed them when I returned to England. There were no snubs on either side. The deal did not happen and both sides have got on with things.

 

"Looking back on those mad few weeks, the one thing that no one can say about me is that I was not up front and honest. I had narrowed it down to three options and, all the way through, I made it plain exactly where they stood. As I said at the time, Liverpool were my first choice, Newcastle my second. The third was staying at Real.

 

"I had to look after my England place and I had to look after myself. I would always prefer to be playing rather than twiddling my thumbs. The buzz from playing is irreplaceable. Every footballer wants to feel valued and I have had that in spades from the Newcastle people.

 

"They understood why Liverpool was my first choice. I had spent more than a decade there and I did think I would be going back when I met Rick Parry and Benítez just before the transfer deadline.

 

"We had discussed the wages and all the nitty-gritty of a contract, so I have no doubts that their interest was genuine, whatever you may have heard. But it was difficult for them because they had sold me for £8.5m and were being asked to pay considerably more to take me back. They had to make their own financial decisions."

 

http://www.teamtalk.com/teamtalk/News/Stor..._909175,00.html

[Smooth Operator 10]

It not good reading anything saying "2nd choice Newcastle" but in this instance I can understand.

 

Liverpool sold Owen well under value as he would more than likely walked away for nowt soon after, we bought him in the middle of a contract and were always going to have to pay more for that, and although I think we paid slightly over the odds, Liverpool paid double what the likes of Crouch/Cisse/Morientes are worth.

[Isegrim 9900]

We all knew that Newcastle would have had no choice when the decision came down to Liverpool or Newcastle. That's why the fat controller had to price Liverpool out of the market.

[sweetleftpeg 0]

We all knew Liverpool were his first choice, but it was worth signing him just to see Phil Thompson go from saying he was certain to sign for Liverpool to having to go on Sky News almost in tears to imply little Mickey was forced at gunpoint to go to Newcastle.

 

'Don't cry Pinnochio! Don't cry Pinnochio!'

[Jimbo 175]

We all knew Liverpool were his first choice, but it was worth signing him just to see Phil Thompson go from saying he was certain to sign for Liverpool to having to go on Sky News almost in tears to imply little Mickey was forced at gunpoint to go to Newcastle.

 

'Don't cry Pinnochio! Don't cry Pinnochio!'

71103[/snapback]

 

 

Fuck I hate that bloke.

[Shearergol 0]

Fair comment from him to be honest. I certainly think no less of him for admitting we were 2nd choice.

 

Think he seems to love it here now though.

[Dr Kenneth Noisewater 0]

Think he seems to love it here now though.

71107[/snapback]

 

Maybe, but I think he'd be back to Liverpool in a shot given the opportunity.

[Bombadil 0]

Think he seems to love it here now though.

71107[/snapback]

 

Maybe, but I think he'd be back to Liverpool in a shot given the opportunity.

71124[/snapback]

 

Exactly, and who could blame him? He seems to enjoy life with us for now, but Liverpool are the club he loves and they're doing really well. Reading that Benitez definitely wanted him doesn't exactly fill me with confidence either. And if they go and win the Champions League again this year, money won't be a problem.

[Grimbo 0]

That's why the fat controller had to price Liverpool out of the market.

71050[/snapback]

 

Like him or loathe him... It was very clever the way he played this one!

[Bombadil 0]

From NUFC.com:

 

Meanwhile over on Merseyside, Rafa the Liverpool gaffer was doing little to dissuade those who believe that Tyneside is no more than a one season World Cup warmup for Michael Owen:

 

"Yes, I can see him returning to Liverpool one day, why not? He's a top player and every club is always interested in signing players like that.

 

"We tried until the end. He decided to go to Newcastle because he wanted to play every week. I respect his decision. I told him when we were talking that we had good strikers here, and that Real Madrid had received a very big offer, so it was impossible. The price was really, really high.

 

"There were four different factors which stopped us re-signing him: the price, the time scale, Michael's decision, and also the reason that we already had good strikers here. All those factors, in such a short time, ensured that we couldn't change the situation."