English Angle: Has Michael Owen Betrayed Liverpool By Joining Manchester United?

The manner in which Michael Owen left Liverpool for Real Madrid in 2004 has always sat uncomfortably with fans of the club. Leaving for a reduced fee of £8million as he was entering the latter stages of his contract was seen, in some quarters, as a short-changing of the club which nurtured him into a European Player of the Year.

The striker, during his time at Anfield, failed to capture the hearts of the Kopites in the manner which Robbie Fowler and Steven Gerrard managed in recent years. Although lauded as a scorer of vital goals, Owen maintained much of his 'outsider' status at the club.

Indeed, on his subsequent returns to Anfield, Owen hasn't garnered the adulation handed out to the likes of Fowler, or even Emile Heskey.

It is perhaps then, no surprise that he has decided to sign on with Manchester United although the move has left Scousers scorned.

Going to Real Madrid was one thing; leaving for a land overseas, away from the club with whom he grew up, he was unlikely to be troubling the Kop with goalscoring returns.

There was an inevitability about his Merseyside departure. Rafa Benitez, at Valencia, had proven himself to be suspicious of out and out goalscorers, preferring his goals to come from various dimensions within his team. There would be no place for Owen under the new manager, whose change of shape prompted a first European Cup/Champions League success for Liverpool in over two decades. Indeed, Owen was left out of Liverpool's line-up for the early stages of that competition in order to avoid cheapening his worth by cup-tying him.

The chapter of Owen's time at Liverpool had been written; thanks for the goals and trophies Mike, but don't expect any flags bearing your name when next you play at Anfield.

When he returned to play in England a summer later, Owen was accused of being a mercenary; milking the cash cow at Newcastle while putting in the type of effort that would make the LA Galaxy version of David Beckham look positively Gattuso. Owen's time at St James' Park also coincided with England's falling out of love with him. The 2001 Ballon d'Or winner was cast aside from national team duty and saw his stature greatly diminish throughout his tumultuous four years with the Magpies.

He was written off. No longer the force he was; greedy; lacking pace; mud was slung as the forward maintained his silence even if his performances for the Geordies were suspiciously short of the standards expected from a European Footballer of the Year.

When his contract expired at Newcastle, his availability was largely met with indifference. Astonishing. No other Ballon d'Or winner had fallen so far. Teams like Hull City, Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City were mooted to be considering bids. Reports suggested that Owen himself favoured a move to Everton, Liverpool's crosstown rivals.

How that move would have been received at Anfield is not all that certain, but it would be a good bet to suggest that the taste in Liverpool mouths is all the more bitter following the 29-year-old's move to Manchester United.

Has Michael Owen betrayed Liverpool by joining Sir Alex Ferguson's team? There is a lingering notion that he did that once already by executing his transfer to Real Madrid, sullying his legacy at Liverpool. Since then, his standing has been relatively low for a man who netted over 150 times for the team. Joining Manchester United is likely to confirm Liverpool's fans distaste for Owen rather than ignite it anew.

Fergie has always enjoyed taking Liverpool down a peg or two; chasing down their league titles total with gusto. He'll surely have a little chuckle to himself knowing that he has bagged a genuine Anfield thoroughbred, even if his star has fallen since his glory days.

Should Owen prove to be a shrewd piece of business, perhaps netting over 20 league goals for the first time in his career, then the Reds faithful would be be a little more waspish and a little less indifferent to this 'has-been'. The rivalry between the two giant teams needs little elaboration; a keener edge would be added to any direct clash that featured a Michael Owen goal.

Peter Staunton, Goal.com