I’m a Ballon d’Or winner who had the world at my feet but I lost control of my career after bold transfer

MICHAEL OWEN believes helium "lost control" of his vocation the infinitesimal near Liverpool for Real Madrid.

The erstwhile England planetary swapped Merseyside for Madrid successful the summer of 2004 aft 8 goal-filled seasons with the Reds.

The stunning determination to the Bernabeu, however, didn't spell to program arsenic helium failed to triumph a trophy successful his sole play with the Galacticos, successful which helium scored 16 goals successful 45 appearances.

He returned to England the pursuing summer for a four-season stint with Newcastle earlier a daze determination to Liverpool's bitter rivals Manchester United successful July 2009.

Some of the Kop faithful inactive resent Owen for joining the Red Devils, though the 44-year-old believes their resentment primitively stemmed from him leaving Anfield successful the archetypal place.

He told The Telegraph: “The infinitesimal I chose to spell to Real Madrid I mislaid power of my vocation and what the perceptions of it are.

“I don’t emotion going to Anfield present due to the fact that I cognize I americium not loved back.

"I thin to lone spell erstwhile I americium working. It’s not that I dread going, but for a agelong clip I utilized to hide my caput erstwhile driving backmost to the academy to spot friends.

"I person told myself since, 'I should not person been feeling similar that.'

"People accidental now, ‘It was due to the fact that helium signed for Manchester United.’

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"But the full satellite knows determination has been immoderate history rewritten there.

"There was resentment directed astatine maine earlier past erstwhile I played for Newcastle, adjacent though I had a clause successful my Newcastle declaration that I could re-sign for Liverpool each summer.

“The Manchester United facet is present an easier instrumentality to bushed maine with.

"But erstwhile I came backmost to Anfield for the archetypal clip arsenic a Newcastle player, determination were a fewer hundred, perchance a 1000 supporters, booing me.

"I can’t hide however I, my parents, and my erstwhile Liverpool team-mates felt.

"Everyone who understood and appreciated the world of the concern was disappointed connected my behalf.”

Owen ne'er had immoderate ambitions of leaving Liverpool, fto unsocial playing abroad, erstwhile helium was astatine the highest of his powers.

But helium would person kicked himself had helium not taken the accidental to play for the European giants.

The 2001 Ballon d'Or victor admitted: "I ne'er had large ambitions to play abroad.

"Really, but I acceptable the bill arsenic the benignant of subordinate they pursued.

"If you are scoring goals, are a originative midfielder, oregon an amazing, unsocial benignant of right-back similar Trent, you are seen arsenic a marquee signing.

“They wanted maine with [Luís] Figo, [Zinedine] Zidane, Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos.

"I looked astatine that and thought it would person been harder not to score.

"I thought agelong and hard astir leaving Liverpool, but successful the extremity thing wrong told maine I would regret it if I didn’t springiness it a go.”