Michael Owen signed for Liverpool at the age of thirteen, agreeing schoolboy terms that would see him stay with the Reds and sign a professional contract on his seventeenth birthday in 1996. Michael Owen went on to make 297 appearance for Liverpool and score 158 goals, and became one of only eleven Liverpool players to score over 100 league goals for the club.
From a very early age Owens' talent was obvious, he progressed rapidly through Liverpool's youth teams, helping them win the FA Youth Cup in 1996 and scoring a goal in the Final.
Owen made his first team debut in 1997 when he made a substitute appearance against Wimbledon. During the 1997-98 season he began to play regularly and became an instant Anfield hero with his prolific goal scoring. He scored 18 Premier league goals during his first full season and was awarded the Young Player of the Year award.
The following season was successful for Owen, but not Liverpool, as he scored 23 goals in 40 games, but Liverpool failed to win a trophy or seriously challenge for the League title; towards the end of the season Owen suffered a hamstring injury that would see him miss several games and although he didn't know at the time, it was to be the first of many injuries that would blight his career.
During the 1999-2000 season, Michael Owen was absent for many games due to recurrent injuries, but he still managed to play and score twelve goals during that season.
The 2001 season was a season to remember for both Owen and the Liverpool team as they went on to win a treble of trophies. Liverpool went on to win the League Cup beating Birmingham on penalties, and the FA Cup against Arsenal, a game for which Owen will always be remembered, with Arsenal leading 1-0 and with a few minutes remaining Owen produced two amazing moments by scoring two goals to give Liverpool a dramatic 2-1 victory. Liverpool went on to complete an amazing treble a few days later as they beat Alaves 5-4 in the UEFA Cup final. Michael Owen went onto to be awarded The European Footballer of the Year award for 2001.
Liverpool then went onto win the Charity Shield at the beginning of the following season against rivals Manchester United with Owen scoring the winning goal and he scored another goal in the UEFA Super Cup as Liverpool Bayern Munich. He went onto score 28 goals for Liverpool that season which also saw them beat Manchester United again, this time to win the League Cup.
The 2003-2004 season was another one that saw Owen miss many games through injury, but he still managed to score 19 goals, however Liverpool failed to win any trophies this year.
In August 2004 Owen signed for Real Madrid in an £8million deal, and he has since had spells at Newcastle United, and he broke Liverpool fans hearts in 2009 by signing for arch rivals Manchester United, but it is his time at Liverpool that will always make him a legend. From 1998 to the date he left, he was Liverpool's top scorer every season, and of the 158 goals he scored for Liverpool he also scored an amazing eight hat-tricks, he was possibly one of the best players ever to play for Liverpool Football Club.
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