As if the eye-watering £16m fee Newcastle paid Real Madrid for the luxury of paying Michael Owen’s medical bills wasn’t difficult enough to swallow in hindsight, the fact that he cost the club a further ridiculous amount in wages is jaw-dropping.
Derek Llambias admitted the club had offered him improved terms to stick around:
“Under Kevin Keegan’s management he was offered a one-year extension at £140,000 a week which he did not take. He was already on £133,000. His time here cost £40-odd million, about £1.3m per goal.”
Owen had been identified as the perfect replacement to Alan Shearer – who even offered up his famous number nine shirt to his younger compatriot – but Owen wanted No 10.
Incredibly, Owen said on Match Of The Day he thought he was worth all of the money.
But then he would.