As Liverpool and Newcastle United prepare to lock horns in Sunday’s League Cup final, there will be a number of former players with perhaps split allegiances ahead of the showpiece at Wembley.
After all, a number of great stars have represented both clubs.
Peter Beardsley, Kevin Keegan, Alan Kennedy and Terry McDermott are all remembered fondly by Reds and Magpies alike.
Admittedly a number of double-agents are cherished far more by one set of supporters than the other, with the likes of John Barnes, Didi Hamann, James Milner, Ian Rush and Gini Wijnaldum all achieving far more at Anfield than St. James’ Park.
Michael Owen should perhaps fall into the same category too.
But his alienation from the Liverpool fanbase is well-documented, after signing for Manchester United on a free transfer in the summer of 2009.
It did not matter that he scored 158 goals for the Reds after coming through their academy
Owen fired them to FA Cup and treble glory in 2001 and remains the only Liverpool star to win the Ballon d’Or, in the eyes of supporters his switch to Old Trafford was unforgivable.
Yet if we’re being honest, supporters had already turned on Owen before he became a Red Devils player.
He was taunted by supporters during his first return to Anfield with Newcastle United, as they chanted ‘Where were you in Istanbul?’, after he failed to force through a Liverpool return after a solitary season in Real Madrid.
Signing for the Magpies in a £16m, Owen is not well-liked by Newcastle supporters either.
His time at St. James’ Park was plagued by injuries as he remained a shadow of the world-class star he had been for the Reds.
He captained Newcastle to relegation in 2008/09 before leaving at the end of his contract for Manchester United
And it was well-known that he had clauses in his Magpies contract that would have facilitated a return to Liverpool each summer during his five-year stint at St. James’ Park, if the Reds had ever reignited interest.
Owen admitted he still considers himself a Liverpool legend despite supporters turning against him. But conceded he ‘hated’ returning to Anfield after leaving the club.
Owen:
“In my eyes? Yeah (I’m a Liverpool legend)!”
“I didn’t like it [facing Liverpool], I didn’t like it, no.
“Don’t get me wrong, I signed for Manchester United and loved my time there. I could’ve signed for Everton! I would’ve been hated no matter what I did.
“Forget it was Manchester United. I hated going back [to Anfield] with Newcastle as well. I just didn’t like playing for any other team against Liverpool.”
Owen has previously admitted that his alternatives to joining Manchester United were Everton and Hull City.
But the former Reds striker has now revealed he would have loved to join Celtic instead, having been linked with the Hoops when his Newcastle contract expired.
Owen said
“My dad grew up, spent a lot of time in Scotland, his mum was Scottish,”
“My grandparents' side of the family are Glaswegian. Naturally, my dad got me a Celtic shirt when I was a kid and I followed them as my team in Scotland.
"Yeah, I would have loved to have played for Celtic. I really would.
“That's one thing I think. At that point in my career, I thought to myself, there were a lot of players at the time going up there, of similar ilk.
"Top players that maybe were around the 30, 31, 32 type of thing and having two or three years up scoring a few goals.
“And let's get it right, you've got most of the ball all the time. When you're playing for Celtic, you get most of the ball, you're going to get more chances.
"It's actually quite nice, as a player that's in their 30s to not have to chase around and defend much.
“You always got the ball; you're always getting chances. It would have been a lovely way I think to end my career.
“I don't wish, but I would have liked at the time to maybe have gone to Celtic towards the end of my career.
"Let's be honest. It's not a very competitive league. It's not something that you'd probably consider when you're 23, 25.
“But later on in your career, there are so many positive aspects to it.
“Let's say me, not able to get into a Manchester United team, for example, if Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov are playing ahead of you, would you prefer to be third or fourth choice at Manchester United or play for Celtic?
"Then it becomes a really good debate to be had. I think at that time of your career when it definitely becomes quite relevant, or it certainly would have for me if I'd had the opportunity."
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