"Everyone hated me" - Michael Owen admits he was 'scared for his safety' and asked Amazon to rearrange punditry return to Newcastle United
Michael Owen didn't have the best of spells at Newcastle United during his playing days. The former England striker represented the Magpies between 2005 and 2009 but his time at St. James' Park was marred by a fallout with the fans.
12 years after ending his association with the Premier League side, Owen still doesn't have a good relationship with the club.
The 42-year-old has revealed he was down to be a pundit for a Newcastle match earlier this month but asked to be removed because he feared for his safety.
Michael Owen was "scared for safety" and asked to be removed from covering Newcastle game
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"As soon as I left, everyone hated me. But I never, ever felt that when I was there - I felt love, be that around the city, the pub or wherever," Michael Owen told Daily Mail.
"I was supposed to do the game against Norwich last month. I phoned Amazon and said, 'I don’t really want to go, I'm scared for my safety,' so they changed my game.
"I wish it was different. I would love to ask the fans, "Why don't you like me?" and have the chance to give my side."
After playing for Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle, Man Utd and England I don't think I would enjoy that football.
Speaking about what contributed to his broken relationship with the Newcastle faithful, Owen recalled when he bought a helicopter for his family to travel up and down.
He also pointed to the injury crisis that disrupted his progress at St. James' Park. The Englishman narrated:
"Of course, I get some of the reasons. The worst thing I did was buy a helicopter for my family to travel up and down. It’s a s*** perception.
"People had this impression I was flying home after training each day. I wasn't. I loved the area. But perception wise, it was an own goal. I would change that.
"Then there were the injuries. I never wanted to be injured, but the one that set it all off was putting my boot in for Newcastle at Spurs on New Year’s Eve in 2005 and breaking my foot. I then went to the World Cup and did my knee. It was a nightmare - for me, the fans, the club."
Michael Owens' Newcastle spell in numbers
Michael Owen joined Newcastle United in the summer of 2005 after his short stint at Real Madrid. The Englishman was snapped up in a mega transfer worth a whopping €25 million.
He spent four years with the Premier League side, recording 30 goals and two assists to his name in 79 appearances across all competitions. He eventually left for Manchester United on a free transfer in the summer of 2009.