Robbie Fowler the former Liverpool player recently revealed a lot of thoughts regarding his playing career. Fowler who partnered with Michael Owens at the Premier League club believes he is a better goal-scorer than his former teammate Michael Owen.
Fowler played 369 matches for his hometown team, which he joined when he was nine years old, in two separate periods. Fowler is regarded as a club legend, however, he is often seen as an inferior striker to Michael Owens by a larger section of fans.
Robbie Fowler on Michael Owen
Fowler played 26 times for England and scored seven goals. However, he found it tough to play regularly for the national team, and later, he confessed that he never really felt like he belonged to the team.
Fowler mentioned on a recent podcast that he had a hard time getting to play for England. In contrast, his Liverpool teammate Owen, who won the Ballon d’Or in 2001, earned 89 caps and scored 40 goals for the national team.
Even though Fowler scored more goals for the Reds, a total of 183, Owen scored 158 goals.
The interviewer asked him if it bothered him that Owen seemed to be easily accepted into the England team while he felt like an afterthought, and he replied.
“Not at the time, I know what you’re saying, and of course you’re upset not to be playing. But did I want Michael to fail or him not to do well? Of course, I wanted to play but I didn’t want Michael to not succeed. I’m just saying from my point of view, I think players are sort of one dimensional in terms of looking after ourselves, we’ve always done that,” Fowler said.
“You know, I think that’s why I scored [how many I did] because you are a little bit selfish. I think you probably need to be in all honesty. But if you think of a footballing person and the way they are and the way people’s perception of it is, I think Michael’s perception was he thought more of England than his club. But with mine, I thought more of my club than England. Now, it could’ve been the other way around if I’d have played more for England,” he added.
Even though Fowler always supported Owen, he confessed that he believed he was better in every way as a striker when he compared himself to his teammate. But there’s one thing Fowler thinks Owen was better at.
“It is what it is with football, but I always thought I was better than Michael in all honesty. Even when Michael was coming through. You know, I’m not sitting here being egotistical or being derogatory towards Michael. I think the only thing – and I mean this might get a little bit of a thing this – but Michael was quicker than me, but every other element of being a striker, I genuinely think I was better,” he said.
