Michael Owen reveals emotional price of swapping Liverpool for Real Madrid

Michael Owen says he cried uncontrollably on his way to the airport after deciding to leave Liverpool for Real Madrid in 2004.

The former England, Liverpool and Real Madrid striker recalled the emotional circumstances surrounding his move to the Spanish club in an interview with FourFourTwo magazine.

“I remember crying uncontrollably on the way to the airport and thinking: ‘What am I leaving behind?’” said Owen.

Owen was 24 at the time and had spent his entire professional career with Liverpool, having won the Ballon d’Or in 2001. Yet the opportunity to play for Real Madrid, and to wear the club’s famous white shirt, proved too tempting to reject.

“I felt that if I left, I would already have spent a long time at Liverpool and would always be able to return,” he said. “So I thought I had to experience it and enjoy it.”

The England forward was on a Liverpool pre-season tour of the United States when his agent called to tell him that a move to Real Madrid could be possible.

Owen was sharing a room with team-mate Jamie Carragher, who quickly learned about the conversation and tried to persuade him to turn down the offer.

“Don’t go! They have Raul, Ronaldo and Fernando Morientes, and you won’t get a chance to play!” Carragher warned him.

Owen admitted he was evenly split between accepting and rejecting the move. Ultimately, the prospect of playing at the Santiago Bernabeu proved decisive.

He remembers feeling immediate uncertainty after committing himself to the transfer.

“Do you know that feeling when you sign something and think there is no way back?” Owen said. “When you say to yourself: ‘Oh my God, what have I done?’”

Despite those doubts, Owen said he does not describe the decision as a regret.

His spell at Real Madrid lasted only one season, 2004-2005. He made 45 appearances and scored 16 goals, but was unable to establish himself as a regular starter in a team containing many of the leading players in world football.

After one year in Spain, Owen returned to England to join Newcastle United.

His departure was unpopular with some Liverpool supporters, while his relationship with the club’s fans deteriorated further when he later joined Manchester United in 2009.

Reflecting on the significance of the decision, Owen said leaving Liverpool had not been at the forefront of his mind.

“The last thing I thought was that I would be leaving Liverpool,” he said.