There are few bigger rivalries in English soccer than that between Manchester United and Liverpool, as any player who has appeared in a game between the 2 sides, known as the North West Derby, would undoubtedly agree.
In fact, so bitter is the rivalry, that a player being directly transferred between the 2 clubs is almost unheard of. A quick check of the record books duly tells us that the last player to be involved in such a transaction was a man called Phil Chisnall. All the way back in 1964.
In 2007 it appeared for a brief while that Argentinian international Gabriel Heinze was set to move from Old Trafford to Anfield but, after the player spoke publicly about his wish to join Liverpool and the United fans made clear their displeasure at the prospect of such a move, the player eventually left England to join Real Madrid.
Even players who find their way to either Manchester United or Liverpool via another club or series of clubs are a rare species. Paul Ince and Peter Beardsley are 2 such players. Now the striker Michael Owen, who spent a total of 13 years at Anfield after joining the club as a schoolboy, before spells at Real Madrid and more recently Newcastle United, has become the latest player to be recruited to Old Trafford by United's manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
Owen became available last Tuesday when his contract at Newcastle, who were relegated from the English Premiership in the 2008/2009 season, came to an end. Because Owen was a free agent no transfer fee was involved, but still the move will be seen as something of a gamble by many people both inside and outside the game. During 4 injury plagued years at Newcastle Owen only managed 71 league appearances for the club. Nevertheless he managed to score 26 goals during those appearances, for what was a frequently under-performing side.
Indeed Owen has rarely failed to score goals at any stage of his career. Even at Real Madrid, who dispensed with his services after only 1 season, he scored 18 goals in 41 appearances. A record all the more impressive for the fact that on many occasions Owen came on as a substitute rather than having a place in the starting 11.
Those inside the game who have commented on the move, which the
BBC describe as a "pay-as-you-play deal" and is one in which Owen will receive considerably less money that the £110,000 (€ 128,700) per week he received at Newcastle, are divided on how they think Owen will fare at the stadium that is often known by it's unofficial name, the "Theatre of Dreams".
Former Manchester United captain Bryan Robson, who also captained England, told the
Telegraph newspaper:
Michael is a natural goal-scorer and natural goalscorers who can do the business at the highest level are few and far between. I definitely think that he is capable of being a Champions League striker because he's only 29 and he has still plenty of good years left in him yet.
However Sam Allardyce, who was Owen's manager at Newcastle between May 2007 and January 2008, decided against trying to recruit his former player for his current club Blackburn Rovers. The
BBC quotes Allardyce as saying:
I just question the injury scenario. I need a striker that's going to be available for 30 games next season. That's not happened for Michael over the last four years.
But the 29 year old Owen, who after playing 89 times for England is at present out of favor with the coach of the national side Fabio Capello, has few doubts about his ability to still perform at the highest level, as again the
BBC makes clear:
I want to thank Sir Alex for the faith he has shown in me and I give him my assurance that I will repay him with my goals and performances
Owen has already defied soccer convention once before in his life, when he signed as a schoolboy for Liverpool despite being a childhood fan of their cross city rivals Everton. How ironic it would now be if the man who eventually helps the red half of Manchester get over the loss of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez and the failure to sign Karim Benzema is a player they once booed so loudly when he performed for the red half of Merseyside.
