Newcastle legend Alan Shearer leaves pundits in stitches after being asked about Michael Owen.
It is fair to say Alan Shearer does not have the best relationship with former Newcastle United striker Michael Owen.
Alan Shearer and Michael Owen have quite the history. The two iconic forwards played alongside each other for England and Newcastle.
In what was the final year of his legendary career in 2005/06, Shearer played alongside Owen, who had become Newcastle’s record signing at £17m.
After he made the move from Real Madrid to St James’ Park, there was a huge excitement around Owen’s potential, but his time in Tyneside turned out to be a disaster.
The pair were reunited when Shearer took over at Newcastle in 2009 for the final few league games of the season to try and fight off relegation. Owen sparked conflict when he refused to play 90 minutes in a crucial relegation clash against Aston Villa. Newcastle suffered a 1-0 defeat and were subsequently sent to the Championship.
Alan Shearer (R) of Newcastle United is congratulated on his goal by Michael Owen during the Barclays Premiership match between West Bromwich Albio…
Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
Alan Shearer talks about Michael Owen
Shearer and Owen have continued to go back and forth at each other on social media since their spat at Newcastle, and were separated as pundits to avoid a frosty atmosphere.
Shearer has rightly criticised Owen for his poor attitude during his time at Newcastle, and the former Liverpool striker popped up as a topic of conversation in the latest podcast episode of The Rest is Football.
After a fan question about Owen, Gary Lineker said “Now I know you love Michael a lot, so I’ll leave this one with you Alan…”. Micah Richards was already in hysterics.
“I’ve never had anything against his ability,” Shearer insisted. “I played with him in the Argentina game when he scored that goal.
“What do you want me to say? He was a brilliant centre-forward.
“Just.. not at Newcastle.”
Michael Owen’s spell at Newcastle was a disaster
There was an expectancy that Owen would add his name to the list of legendary strikers at Newcastle, alongside Shearer.
He was one of England’s brightest talents after breaking through at Liverpool and making a high-profile move to Madrid.
But his spell at Newcastle was a disaster. Whether it was legal battles, injuries or his poor attitude, Owen never really settled.
READ MORE: A timeline of all Newcastle United captains in the Premier League era
Owen has since admitted that he regrets joining Newcastle and that his heart was set on a return to Liverpool.
However he seemed more than happy enough to stay at Newcastle for four years collecting his £120000 per week wages.
Owen himself said: “A move to the north east was a downward step. If I only thought of money, Newcastle blew everyone out of the water as they were offering me £120,000 a week.”
