He may have gone on to destroy his heralded status on Merseyside with an ill-judged move to Manchester United later in his career, but there was a time when Michael Owen was once the Boy Wonder' of Anfield. On the day he made his full debut in May 1997, Liverpool were in the hunt for the Premier League title but needed to beat Wimbledon if they were to have any chance of ending the eight-year wait. It turned out to be a pitiful surrender, losing 2-1 to the Dons at a sullen Anfield, but the 17 year old Owen made sure that they would have some form of solace to cling to on the lonely walk home. Introduced as a substitute in the second half, the teenager made an instant impact, slotting home to give the Reds a glimmer of hope. The following season, the youngster replaced the injured Robbie Fowler as the clubs first-choice striker and duly helped himself to the Premier League Golden Boot for his troubles, and finished third in the PFA Player of the Year Awards. He would spend six more seasons with the Merseyside giants before departing in the wake of Euro 2004 for Real Madrid. He then spent the remaining eight years of his career hopping between the infirmary and the bench at various different clubs, wracking up just 110 league games before wisely calling it a day at the age of 33. After all, Cameron Jerome was getting the nod ahead of him. Oh, what might have been
Recent Journalism & New Media graduate. Insatiable thirst for all things football, and hopes to break into the field of sports journalism in the near future.
Have made a significantly insignificant playing career out of receiving several slaps around the head for not passing the ball.
