Liverpool legend Michael Owen speaks about his career and life since retiring from football

Speaking in an interview with Liverpool Echo, former Liverpool striker Michael Owen has commented on how different he is as a person right now compared to when he was playing football.

For a player who has scored 223 goals in his career, Michael Owen divides opinion. While there is no denying that the Liverpool academy graduate broke into the scene at Anfield in spectacular fashion, there is a feeling that he peaked too soon and never quite enjoyed a long career.

Owen broke into the Liverpool team in spectacular fashion whilst he was just 17 years old and had an instant impact at Anfield. The English striker who scored 158 times in the league for the Reds in his time at the club, single-handedly leading Liverpool to the FA Cup in 2001 against Arsenal.

He was regarded as the Merseysiders’ biggest hope at such a young age, and even went on to win the Ballon D’ or in 2001. However aged just 24, Owen decided to swap Liverpool for Madrid, joining Spanish giants Real Madrid. 

After a solitary season at the Spanish capital, the Englishman returned to his homeland, representing Newcastle United and later Liverpool’s rivals Manchester United. This ended up tarnishing his Anfield legacy with the supporters of the Merseyside club dismayed at the fact that their biggest hope betrayed them for pastures new.

Speaking to Echo, the former English wonderkid revealed that he never planned anything that happened in his career.

“I didn’t plan to do what I did at 17 or 18 or 30 or 33 for that matter. It is not like in business where you can plan ahead with a five-year plan”

The former Reds forward also conceded the struggles of coping with what he called ‘not a normal life. It is not easy to live up to expectations and it is fair to say that Owen certainly had the weight of the world put on him.

“The life I have lived is not a normal life being thrust in front of billions of people worldwide at 17 or 18. “I have lived that life and I have just lived it as best as I can. Now I am retired, I have a semi-normal life”

Shades of grey?

There is a constant debate as to whether or not Michael Owen is a Liverpool great. The truth lies somewhere in between. 

Owen’s rise from a Liverpool academy hopeful to an England World Cup hero was rapid. Maybe it came too soon. Within just 10 months, the talented youngster went on from becoming an exciting prospect to a player the entire nation had pinned their hopes on in the World Cup.

The English international’s rise to stardom was meteoric but his downfall was equally cascading. The biggest disappointment with Owen came from the fact that the Reds had pinned all their hopes on him and his exit at such a young age came as a rude shock.

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Whether the Reds ever make peace with the Owen saga, it is very evident that the striker has made peace with it and is enjoying a less boisterous retirement life.