WHATEVER you think of Michael Owen, you have to recognise his achievements for Liverpool and England.
I’ll always remember that explosive entrance he made into world football and the incredible goals he scored for Liverpool.
You can question the impact he made at Real Madrid, Newcastle, Manchester United and Stoke but you can’t criticise him for his time at Anfield.
He had a simple game. He took up very good positions, was blessed with pace and was a wonderful finisher. The hardest thing to do in football is score goals and he made a living out of it.
Of course Liverpool fans were disappointed by some of the decisions he made in his career and I felt the same way.
The way he left for Real Madrid in 2004 and then later signed for United damaged his standing. He won’t be recognised as a Liverpool legend because of what’s happened since he last played for the club.
I understand that but what I do find strange is that a lot of people seem to hold Michael responsible for all the injuries he’s had. That is hugely unfair.
If you look at his whole career, you could say he didn’t fulfil his full potential. After all, he’s played so little football in recent years.
But he achieved the kind of success in his early days that most people can only dream of achieving over their whole career.
