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Michael Owen could have joined Inter Milan before eventually leaving Liverpool for Real Madrid

If asked to pick Michael Owen’s career highlight, one of two memories are likely to spring to mind for your everyday football fan.

Rather, it was his performances for the Reds in the most iconic campaign of his career as they clinched an unprecedented cup treble in the 2000/01 season.

Gerard Houllier’s leading striker, Owen would score 24 goals from 46 appearances that season as Liverpool won the League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup, while also qualifying for the Champions League for the first time.



Il Fenomeno missed the entire 2000/01 season and most of the 2001/02 season through injury, before returning in time to star for Brazil as they won the 2002 World Cup.

Inter would sign Robbie Keane from Coventry City in a £13m deal in July 2000, with the future Liverpool forward arguably identified as an alternative to Owen.

There may have been no silverware, with the club finishing fourth and fifth in Serie A respectively, losing the Coppa Italia final in 2000 before suffering a quarter-final exit in 2001, while also suffering a UEFA Cup round-of-16 exit in 2000/01 after failing to progress past the Champions League third qualifying round.

Meanwhile, Keane would flop at the San Siro as the manager who signed him, Marcello Lippi, was sacked early in the season.

But his struggle to adapt to life in Spain just a few years later, unable to take Ronaldo’s playing in the Real Madrid starting XI, would in fact suggest similar turmoil had he moved to Italy when aged just 21.

'Where were you in Istanbul?' was the chant aimed in the striker's direction when he returned to Anfield for the first time with Newcastle United in 2005, just months after Liverpool had won the Champions League.

What would the reception have been had he walked away on the eve of the Reds' treble success?

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Consequently, considering what he went on to achieve with Liverpool in 2000/01, both as part of the team and as an individual, it’s safe to say that turning down Inter Milan proved to be one of the best decisions Owen ever made during his playing career.

*A version of this article was first published in October 2023.


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