Michael Owen claims Alan Shearer “tried everything” to join Liverpool amid Newcastle United row
Former Newcastle United striker Michael Owen has claimed Alan Shearer “tried everything” in his power to engineer a move to Liverpool.
The shocking revelation came after Shearer hit out at his former Tyneside colleague for outlining his “regret” at joining Newcastle from Real Madrid in 2005.
What sparked the “feud” between Shearer and Owen at Newcastle? Five things to know…
- Owen, formerly Newcastle’s record signing (£17m from Real Madrid), played for the Magpies from 2005 to 2009.
- His weekly wage was £120,000, but Owen’s first two seasons yielded just seven league goals across 14 games.
- Newcastle-born Shearer is the club’s all-time top-scorer (206 goals in 404 games) and managed them for the final eight games of 2008/09 season.
- Owen suggests in his new book that the pair fell out due to how he ran down his contract.
- He claims Shearer was “seething” with him and the situation created a decade-long “feud”.
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In his column for the Mirror, Owen wrote: “My move to Newcastle was one I really regret – I should have followed my gut instincts from the start. I didn’t want to go there.”
He went on to explain how moving to St James’ Park was a “downward step” at the time, prompting club legend Shearer to take to his official Twitter account to lash out at Owen, with this tirade the latest instalment in an ongoing feud that stretches back to a decade since the pair fell out during their Newcastle days.
Addressing Owen’s comments about not having to “justify” himself to Newcastle fans, Shearer wrote: “Yes Michael, we thought that also, whilst on £120k a week…..”
Yes Michael, we thought that also, whilst on £120k a week….. @nufc https://t.co/bzzEDdjdN1 pic.twitter.com/I4CdsQcKKr
— Alan Shearer (@alanshearer) September 3, 2019
To which Owen came back and revealed that Shearer is perhaps not as devoted to the Toon Army as he has made out, after he supposedly “tried everything” to seal a move to Liverpool after a fall out with then manager Sir Bobby Robson.
Owen responded on his Twitter account: “Not sure you are as loyal to Newcastle as you make out mate.
Not sure you are as loyal to Newcastle as you make out mate. I distinctly remember you being inches away from signing for Liverpool after Sir Bobby Robson put you on the bench. You tried everything to get out. https://t.co/ZQBrlojeEv
— Michael Owen (@themichaelowen) September 3, 2019
“I distinctly remember you being inches away from signing for Liverpool after Sir Bobby Robson put you on the bench.
“You tried everything to get out.”
A Guardian report from 2003 claims it was Robson who tried to sell Shearer to Liverpool so that Newcastle could sign Patrick Kluivert.
The Magpies were supposedly prevented from bringing in the former Netherlands striker, who eventually joined from Barcelona the following summer, due to a clause in Shearer’s contract stipulating that he must be the highest-paid player at St James’ Park.
