Michael Owen has revealed that it 'looked' like he was going to leave Newcastle United for Liverpool until the striker suffered a serious knee injury at the World Cup.
Owen was, of course, set on a return to Liverpool l ong before then when the former England star decided to leave Real Madrid in 2004. In fact, Owen even met Rafa Benitez and Rick Parry, Liverpool's manager and chief executive at the time, at the home of one-time team-mate Bruno Cheyrou.
However, crucially, Liverpool were ultimately unwilling to match Newcastle's club-record offer for Owen of around £16.8m, which left the Ballon d'Or winner with two choices: stay at Madrid or move to Tyneside. Owen was not keen on a move to Newcastle, but agent Tony Stephens told his client they could insert a buyout clause into his four-year contract that gave him the chance to return to his boyhood club at a price that reduced incrementally each year by £4m.
READ MORE: Lucas Paqueta transfer intermediary reveals Newcastle truth after West Ham put 'hard cash down'
"I went to Newcastle on the proviso that I could put in the contract that, at the end of every season, I could go back to Liverpool for a set fee," Owen told Off The Ball. "That looked as if it was going to come true after the first year, but then I did my knee in the World Cup and it never happened.
"At the end of every summer, I was on the phone to all of them and so was Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard trying to push things through and trying to get me back but, of course, time moves on. [Fernando] Torres had signed and [Luis] Suarez signs so they never really needed me back at that point, which is fair enough. I made the decision to go to Madrid so there's absolutely no hard feelings."
READ NEXT
Eddie Howe's 'frightening' £78m plan Newcastle supporters will love
Newcastle want Spanish speaker in fast as club launch search for elite addition to help players
Newcastle stadium change Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal will hate as Palace show class
Eddie Howe reveals what he had to do after Liverpool pain as Newcastle get training ground break
Premier League boss makes very exciting Newcastle prediction after looking at 'what they spend'
