Michael Owen reveals failed plan for Liverpool return despite Newcastle ‘agreement’

Owen spent eight years of his senior career at Liverpool

Michael Owen has detailed a long plan he had to return to Liverpool in his playing career which was eventually scuppered by injury.

Owen came through the ranks at the Reds and spent eight years of his senior career, from 1996 to 2004, at the club. He left to join Real Madrid but he has now revealed he asked the Spanish club if he could return to Liverpool after one season.

But the Reds had not lodged a bid for him, only Newcastle United had. With the World Cup coming Owen needed the game time and so he agreed to join the northern side.

“I spoke to Newcastle, and Newcastle agreed that if I signed for them, I could do one year and they would then sell me to Liverpool for an agreed fee of £12m,” Owen told BT Sport’s What I Wore.

‘Then if I do another year, then they’ll sell me to Liverpool for £8m, and another year for £4m. So every year, it would be more attractive for Liverpool to buy me back.”

But his dream return to Liverpool never was after a series of injuries kept him from playing. The Reds signed Fernando Torres in 2007 and Luis Suarez in 2011 and so the deal never came into fruition.

After leaving Newcastle following their relegation in 2009, Owen joined Manchester United and then Stoke City before retiring in 2013.