Sam Allardyce lifted the lid on Michael Owen’s time at Newcastle United and stated that he felt it was always a great shame he wasn’t regularly fit to play for the side.
Allardyce, who managed the Magpies when Owen was a part of their squad, shared that he understood why the now-retired forward ended up not liking his time at St James Park as injuries took their toll on him.
The former England manager admitted that Owen did spend a lot of his time back in Liverpool when playing for the Magpies and simply shared how he thought the attacker could have made the difference for his side if he stayed fit.
“Because the injuries took such a toll on him in the end and he was injured an awful lot at Newcastle when we were there, he ended up not liking it as much as he possibly should have,” said Allardyce on talkSPORT (August 28, 8:48am).
“He built the stables then (when asked if his mind was on horses) and I think he did spend a considerable amount of time back in Liverpool, y’know and it’s common knowledge he used to fly up in his helicopter and get back when he could.
“It was a great shame from my point of view as his goals would have made all the difference if he stayed fit but unfortunately with his injuries, Mark Viduka and him were my pick upfront which I thought would have been really really good y’know what I mean.
“At the end of it he didn’t stay fit long enough unfortunately and I can see what he is talking about as he couldn’t stay away from the injuries, y’know when you tear a muscle it leaves you scar tissue.
“He didn’t feel as comfortable as he should have unfortunately.
Allardyce was then directly asked whether he had to play Owen for the Magpies and denied this by replying that when the forward was fit he “expected” to play straight away but it was better to “ease” him back in.
Owen previously candidly spoke about his career on BT Sport’s Premier League Tonight, seen in a clip on their official Twitter, and revealed he only joined the Magpies on the basis, as quoted by the Mirror, that he could eventually go back to Liverpool.
OPINION
Following Owen’s revelation about his time at the Magpies, Allardyce is surprisingly kind and understanding about how the forward must have felt when at St James Park. Considering that Allardyce is right to think he would have tremendously benefited from a fit, motivated Owen firing on all cylinders, it’s a surprise that he isn’t more offended that the former England international always had his eye on a move back to the Reds. It’s interesting that Allardyce claims Owen always expected to play when fit as that implies that he was eager to get on that pitch and help the Magpies’ cause which kinda contradicts the idea that perhaps injuries had gotten him down. Owen played 71 times for the Magpies between 2005 and 2009 and only managed to score 26 goals for them. Given how he was seen as a lethal finisher ahead of arriving at the club, fans did expect him to be more prolific than he ended up being.
