Michael Owen ‘outvoted’ by family on Newcastle transfer

Sarah Winterburn
Michael Owen Man Utd

Michael Owen joined Newcastle United in 2005 because he lost a vote, according to a new article on the former striker.

Oliver Kay has written a fascinating article on Owen for The Athletic in which he attempts to understand a player – who did not have a bank account until he was 38 – who has been cast as an “oddball” and has been cast as a villain by Newcastle fans after admitting his heart was not in the club.

Now it emerges that he voted against the move in a bizarre ballot.

‘He also tells the remarkable story of how, with the transfer deadline looming in August 2005, his move to Newcastle United came down to a ballot among his inner circle — and that, while he and one of his associates rejected the motion, he was outvoted by his parents, his wife, his agent and his tax adviser. And that was that.’

Owen apparently remains puzzled at the criticism he gets from Newcastle United fans.

“I never said anything bad about Newcastle’s fans or players (while he was there),” he says.

“I tried my heart out every game and I really am perplexed by the view of them towards me when I finished. And now it has got worse.

“It’s almost irretrievable now and I don’t really know what I ever did wrong, honestly. If you ask Newcastle fans, they’ll probably laugh their head off and say, ‘He did this wrong, he did that wrong.’ But I really don’t know.”

Owen has clashed with his former Newcastle teammate and boss Alan Shearer in recent weeks but now says:

“I could have written two books and been even more hard-hitting because I know how it was with some people.

“I mentioned one (Shearer) on Twitter the other day and I could say a lot more things.

“What makes my blood boil is the adulation some are held in and you think, ‘Oh my God. If only you knew…'”

Michael Owen

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