Owen opens up on move to Manchester United instead of Liverpool return

Michael Owen has revealed why he didn't make a return to Liverpool but ended up with their Premier League rivals Manchester United.

The former England international left Liverpool for Real Madrid in 2005 and returned to the EPL with Newcastle where he had an underperforming spell.

In 2009, Owen stated that he tried to make a move back to Liverpool but was turned down by then-manager Rafa Benitez.

“I was leaving Newcastle and the first thing I did was phone Carra [Jamie Carragher] and said ‘speak to Rafa Benitez’,” Owen told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“Carra got back to me and said ‘no, he’s about to sign someone’. I think it was David Ngog, but he had already had some great players in the team and basically they didn’t need another centre-forward. What do you want me to do at that point?

“My agent then spoke to virtually every club on the planet to see who was interested and the options were Hull City, Everton and Manchester United. You can imagine my thought process – go to Everton, get hated, go to Man Utd and get hated as well.

“As soon as I heard Man Utd were in for me then I thought, obviously first choice would be Liverpool and to go back there but if Liverpool aren’t going to want me and these are all my options then wow, Manchester United in the Champions League, I don’t have to move, I know loads of the lads. It was a brilliant move.

“I couldn’t believe my luck when Manchester United came in for me. Here’s me, regressing as a player in my own mind and still the champions of England wanted to sign me. I was absolutely buzzing when they wanted me.”

Owen added that he had intentions to win the EPL or Champions League with Liverpool which never came to pass.

He later got to win the EPL with Manchester United and featured in the Champions League final with the club.

“When I was growing up, winning the Premier League for Liverpool would have been my massive dream, or winning the Champions League.

“As it is, I had to settle for winning quite a few trophies with Liverpool but none of them being the Premier League, which was unfortunate.”