Michael Owen has disclosed the details of his meeting with Sir Alex Ferguson in 2009 which sealed his move to Manchester United .
Striker Owen had endured a horror four seasons at Newcastle United, during which he suffered a serious knee injury and been relegated.
But when his contract ended the England legend was offered an escape to the Red Devils.
Owen had been given a heads up of Ferguson's interest by Nicky Butt, who had told him "Be prepared, Sir Alex is going to give you a call," days after he had met Everton boss David Moyes over a potential switch to Goodison Park.
After he had received a call from Ferguson, which he almost rejected because it was from a private number, Owen was invited round to the Scotsman's house.
Owen takes up the story in his new book Michael Owen: Reboot - My Life, My Time: "Conscious of making a good first impression, I chose my clothes carefully and drove there early, parked in some supermarket car park half a mile from his house and sat there fifteen minutes before the appointed time.
"Arriving ten minutes early was the target. I was desperate to impress him in every way. I drove to his house and pressed the buzzer.
"Obviously I knew him given our shared interest and connections in horse racing, so we probably spent more time talking about racing than football in that first meeting.
"Strangely, I don’t think he ever directly said that he wanted to sign me. It was just assumed on both sides.
"I left knowing that I was probably about to become a Manchester United player. Tony Stephens, my agent, hadn’t even spoken to David Gill."
Owen would go onto sign a two-year contract at United, scored 17 times in 52 appearances under Ferguson and wrote his way into Red Devils folklore after his last gasp winner in the Manchester Derby against City.
Owen added: "Faced with the possibility of playing at a big club, with great facilities, in the Champions League, with players that I’d known and played with at England, it really wasn’t a difficult choice at all to sign for Manchester United.
"I do not regret it for a second. What’s more, my family was delighted for me."
Michael Owen: Reboot - My Life, My Time, published by Reach Sport, is on sale Thursday 5th September in hardback, ebook and audiobook.
