Michael Owen has opened up on his failed move to Liverpool in the summer of 2005, insisting he "always wanted" to return to Anfield despite the wishes of Real Madrid president Florentino Perez.
Owen, who is regularly regarded as one of the best finishers of his generation, burst onto the scene with Liverpool after progressing through the club's academy during the 1990s. Claiming back-to-back Premier League Golden Boots at the age of 20, and impressing with a fine individual display against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup, he would score 158 goals for the Reds during a seven-year spell in the first team.
But in the summer of 2004 as Valencia manager Rafa Benitez was named as Gerard Houllier's successor, Owen departed Anfield to sign for Real Madrid for a fee of £8m. And with Benitez's side winning the Champions League in the following season, Owen wanted to return to Anfield for a second stint on Merseyside.
