Michael Owen ultimately scored in the middle of the second half. This was the kind of goal that Liverpool fans had seen countless times before. Owen evading the defence and finishing with the least amount of fuss, and Steven Gerrard hunting for the ball. Newcastle and Liverpool drew 1-1 thanks to a strike from Owen. That season, he only played 29 Premier League games for the Reds, but that 16th goal would guarantee Gerard Houllier’s team a Champions League berth.
Unbeknownst to the supporters at the time, Owen’s exit would culminate a transformational summer at Anfield in 2004. Owen, who was only 24 years old at the time, had only a year left on his contract when he announced his intention to go with Real Madrid. Liverpool was forced to sell the England forward for just less than £10 million in order to make room for other players. Owen’s connection with Liverpool fans suffered its first significant setback, but it wouldn’t be the last. Although he was never a fixture in the team, Owen had a respectable season with Real Madrid, totaling 16 goals for the Spanish powerhouse. However, the Reds were successful without him.
Liverpool won the Champions League in the most dramatic of ways under Rafael Benitez. Owen would have been left to wonder what might have been if he had stayed at Anfield after leaving the Reds in an attempt to win the highest award in Europe. It’s simple to mock Owen’s bad luck. However, going back to 2004 makes it evident why Owen made the decision to leave. Owen, who entered the team at the age of 17, quickly established himself as Liverpool’s go-to guy under Roy Evans and later under Houllier.
When Alex Ferguson knocked on his door, he was 29 years old and at the bottom of his career. At a moment when Owen had to decide between playing for Hull or bitter rivals Everton, the Scot cheered him up. Some Liverpool fans will never accept that as an excuse. Since he made that choice, they will always despise Owen. However, if you put yourself in his position, the decision he ultimately made—made using his intellect rather than his emotions—made some sense. And Owen’s problems during his career were most likely caused by that. The transfers to Real Madrid, Newcastle, Manchester United, and Stoke were all the same.