view photoMANCHESTER, England (AFP) - Michael Owen has joined English champions Manchester United on a two-year contract, the club announced here on Friday, in a remarkable turnaround for the injury-prone striker.
England forward Owen, 29, a free agent after his Newcastle contract expired last week, underwent a medical at a Manchester hospital on Friday before returning to United's Carrington training ground to complete the shock deal.
AFP/Olly Greenwoodview photoThe move came after the only clubs interested in signing the former Liverpool and Real Madrid striker appeared to be Stoke and Hull - both teams for whom staying in the Premier League is an achievement in itself.
Owen underwent an examination Thursday on the knee injury which sidelined him for much of his time at Newcastle.
But United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who has seen both Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez leave Old Trafford in the close season, insisted signing Owen did not represent a gamble on his part.
"Michael is a world-class forward with a proven goalscoring record at the highest level and that has never been in question," said Ferguson.
"Coming to Manchester United with the expectations that we have is something that Michael will relish."
It has been reported that Ferguson has signed a pay as you play deal with Owen, whose weekly wage at Newcastle was believed to have been as high as 120,000 pounds (197,000 dollars).
Owen, who scored just 10 goals for the Magpies as they were relegated from the Premier League last season, said he'd been as stunned as anyone by United's interest in him.
"I had just begun to talk to other clubs when out of the blue Sir Alex phoned me on Wednesday afternoon, invited me to have breakfast with him next morning during which he told me that he wanted to sign me," Owen revealed.
"I agreed without a moment's thought. This is a fantastic opportunity for me and I intend to seize it with both hands."
He added: "I am now looking forward to being a Manchester United player and I am fortunate that I already know so many of the players here.
"I missed pre-season last year and am pleased that I will be starting at Carrington from day one.
"I want to thank Sir Alex for the faith he has shown in me and I give him my assurance that I will repay him with my goals and performances."
Owen joined Newcastle from Real Madrid in 2005 but his time at St James' Park was blighted by a litany of injuries, including foot, concussion, knee, thigh, groin, ankle and calf problems.
Former Newcastle manager Joe Kinnear, who had to quit the club last season because of heart problems, rarely enjoyed having a fully-fit Owen during his time with the north-east club.
But Kinnear, who made his name as a player in the 1960s with Tottenham, was in no doubt of Owen's quality.
"I like to think I played with one of the best strikers in the world in Jimmy Greaves and Michael has similar attributes," Kinnear told Sky Sports.
"He's a great pro, he's very dedicated, he's a really nice lad and I'm sure Alex will get the best out of him."
Before the deal was confirmed, former Liverpool striker Ian Rush said the move would benefit both Owen and the Merseyside club's fiercest rivals.
"It's a chance for Michael to get back and score some goals," Rush insisted. He'll get chances for Manchester United and will score goals."
Owen, who has scored 40 goals in 89 England appearances, has yet to persuade England coach Fabio Capello he has a future at international level.
But his career could be rejuvenated by playing alongside the likes of England striker Wayne Rooney at Old Trafford.
Comment 5 - 24 of 24
FJK..so what your trying to say is that you wont say where you are from,cos the team you support liverpool or man utd,is miles away from where you live..eg.GLORYHUNTER..have you ever been to old trafford or anfield? bet you buy all the new shirts and say "ive been a soccer supporter of the reds since sky sports invented soccer in 1992"
It would be pointless information for as to where i am from simply because the geography involved would put your pee sized pod you call a brain into meltdown considering the max range in your geography knowledge would be the @#$% hole you geordie's call st jame's park......
FJK...you are the typical modern day fan A BORE!! can't take a little bit of name calling so you go crying to your mammy,cos those nasty geordies have been calling st.michael nasty names..why dont you tell us where you come from?...judging by your whinge i'll guess your irish,cos all they do is whinge,when anyone says things about their "local" clubs liverpool and man utd
My perception of this acquisition is mostly neutral. I however wish for both parties(ManU and Michael) that things work out well. In fairness we are spending less money and don't forget we have spent huge before without reaping the desired effects. Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope it's the other way round this time. Maybe next season Madrid will even bid 40 million for him - Hope that's a joke though.
Check out the bitter geordie's with their hateful propoganda; the PL will be a much better place without them. I can understand why the boss is so desperate to sell them; god help the new guys coming in to take the reins of this bedraggled bunch of loud; foul mouthed pure unadalterated puke pouring from every orrifice....disgusting
29% conversion rate on goal scoring chances; highest in last seasons premier league; considering his season was riddled with injury; the player he is replacing being Tevez only had an 11% conversion rate against for me the best striker last season being Torres with 19% conversion rate. Trust me; this will go down as one of Sir Alex's greatest moments and considering he has had a bag full of them this one will be awesome. Of course, the geordie's will be @#$%; blaming Owen for their demise; i thought it was the owners fault!!!!! F**k them anyway, they won't be back in the PL for at least two seasons......
we ae bitter because if he had scored just 1 goal in his last games we would have stayed in the top flight!!!
& the fact that during his tennure & 31 goals - combining his wages & transfer fee - he cost us £41m..?
thats not including is medical fees
so if he had played with passion (the same type that gets the 3 lions on your chest) we would've been still in the prem & then wished him luck for his future.
as it is the majority hope he fails wherever he may be
bitter geordies, and i thaught you were alright up their. i even said you shouldnt have gone down, but obviously i was wrong, theres a few of you aldready going down on a regular basis judging by some of your gay comments . i think if the newcastle fans on this forum a accurate representation of most geordie fans then you deserve a pair of wasters like ashley n wise and you belong in the sewers of english football. as for owen i was wondering who could get goals for utd next season and i think saf may well have found the right man, at man u he'll get plenty of support and opportunitys not like at newcastle were he got nothing this could turn out to be one of those pieces of genious that fergie is renound for (hopfully), of course it could turn out to be the most monumental mistake in the clubs history if in the first five minutes of his first game he gets a season long injury but i doubt that, i reckon he'll give us twenty-five to thirty goals next season.
#8,, get your facts right @#$%. man u got beat by barcelona in the CL final , and CR7 went to REAL MADRID ...@#$%.
What a sorry, foul-minded, gutless tw*t, leetwangers is.
But then again, he is after all - a typical Geordie loser!
leetwangers of curse he is not as fast as he was 5 years ago but he was,is and always will be top-class finisher and man u need such player.and also I didn't say anything insulting to everyone I just wrote what I thought so shut up and try to speak more politely.owen is better than than bent and defoe together.a.duncan83 I agree that without ronaldo next season will be very tough,but I don't think we will struggle too much.The same situation as with beckham.and also:nobody blames alan smith but I think he is the most useless player I've ever seen.did he score any goal last year?I don't remember
kj harding we might be losers but were not murderers like the 2 self pity citys liverpool and manchester..just combine the 2 names to make up one scummy city,how about MANPOOL..cos we know the mancs and scousers enjoy back door love
Although it pains me to say it, now that Man U have signed Owen, SAF really has lost the plot completely. We are now lumbered with another expensive midget who also comes with a bag load of sick notes. United is already short of players who possess athletic and physical presence and the signing of Owen is a serious retrograde step. It smacks of desperation. And since Owen was out of contract, it causes me to wonder whether United ever had any intention of spending very much of the £80 million they received for Ronaldo. I am betting that Ferguson will retire at the end of next season when the Club is at a low!
I see the deal as good deal knowing that it is pay as u play. I hope his injury nightmare is over! I always trust SIR Alex dicision cos he is a wonderful manager. Good fortune Owen! enjoy urself with ROONEY, Berba and Valencia.
I'm a liverpool fan, micheal owen going to man u is probably the best transfer so far of the year, very good move by whisky nose, owen will bag loads of goals, if you give him the chances and for godsake he is still owenly (ha ha ) 29 yrs old. Good piece of business
I once saw a tea mug bearing the slogan "Newcastle supporter's mug - not to be confused with a cup!" This was five years ago. Who were you loser geordies blaming then?
painkiller 14, i dont disagree that we had a rubbish team, but dont forget you also had a rubbish team last year, you got beat off reeal madrid in the champions league final, and now that ronaldo has signed for barcelona you will struggle. its no use flip flopping about when it comes to owen, he used to be a world class striker but now is a run of the mill swirl cleaner. he has lost his pace and no longer enjoys slipping round the back door for the sliding finish. when things werew not going for him he used to lose his rag. head he has never been much good at also. time will tell.
painkiller..what are you on about owen being world class? have you had a session on ocean road you daft rag
how long before we hear bobby "judas,traitor,easyjet" charlton welcome greedy owen to man u and say "i hope rent boy michael breaks my..yawn yawn..england record"..well up yours charlton you mackem,your welcome to the rent boy and your england dreams,cos us geordies hate you,owen and england..and if you want a war i'll give you the total war,and your brother jackie will lead the charge into your red army,last man last stand baldy...
a.duncan83 michael is a world-class striker and deserves to play in great teams,likes of man united.I am their supporter since 1996 and I was delighted when I heard that he will join us.don't blame him because last year your WHOLE TEAM was RUBBISH.why all of the newcastle supporters blame him?I think you are angry because such great player is leaving on a free and your rubbish team will not get money from him,that's why.Good luck michael I hope you will return to england squad and you'll score many goals for us
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