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Quote of the day: "When it came down to Real Madrid or Newcastle there was no question in my mind."

Amazing scenes at St. James' Park on Wednesday as Michael Owen became a Newcastle player for the next four years and signed his contract that contains no get-out clause.

Owen said all the right things as a very negative press conference was handled well by our smiling new no.10 with Freddy Shepherd having to intervene at one point when an ITV reporter pushed Owen on whether he would stay more than a year.

Inside the stadium a packed Sir John Hall stand waited for the striker to appear in a black and white shirt although early arrivals had a brief glimpse just after 11am.

He duly arrived on the pitch clad in the home kit just before 1.00pm and in front of what must have been something like 15,000 fans, he was interviewed on a hastily constructed platform.

The reception was outstanding and seemingly appreciated by a genuinely overwhelmed Owen. There were a few cringeworthy moments when our record signing was left holding the baby and made to stand with a group of kids who were almost as tall as him.

Chants of Souness, Souness were also a little squirm-inducing but the assembled masses thankfully stopped short of chanting, "there's only one Freddy Shepherd"....

Here is what Owen had to say (you can hear a re-run of the press conference by visiting the BBC Tyne website here):

"I've obviously had bit of a head-spinning couple of days. But to start with, that's not a complaint, as I've had three great clubs in the frame - Newcastle, Liverpool and Real Madrid. The further, further it got to the deadline, the more and more it started getting clear that Newcastle were going to be my destination.

"I met with Real's president, directors and managers and then with Rick Parry of Liverpool and Rafa Benitez and I came up here and met the Newcastle contingent as well. At the end of it all, I thought it was best for my future and everything to move to Newcastle.

"I've been honest all along, right from the start when it was becoming clear Real had bought a couple of new strikers. When it was looking like I wasn't going to be in the starting XI, automatically, as everyone knows me, I want to play football and it doesn't matter whether it's in Spain or England.

"If Real had said I would start every week, I'm sure I'd still be there now. They made it clear to me there were other strikers in front of me and that left the teams back in England. The two teams showing the most interest were Newcastle and Liverpool; for various reasons I've chosen Newcastle.

"Alan Shearer's been a good friend for a long time. Everyone knows it's his last season here and it'll be an honour to play with him for his last season. Apart from that, he shares a lot of same interests as I do, golf, horse racing, football, family life. I'm good friends with him and it's one of a few reasons. The chairman and manager's desire and Shearer's words in my ear were three reasons why I decided it was the best option.

"I don't think Liverpool need too much comfort. They're the reigning European champions and had some great success with a new manager.

"Obviously I'd been at Liverpool for a long time, I still have friends there and they will obviously be a part of my life because I played there so long. But it's a new chapter now and I'm really looking forward to it. Seeing the reception I've got, I just wish there was a game tomorrow."

Owen also commented further on his decision to come to Tyneside:

"I had chats with a lot of teams. Obviously Liverpool were interested.

"You don't become one of England's best teams by not having great strikers there at present, at the moment. I'd like to think other teams think I'm a good player but when you've got Ruud van Nistelrooy, Wayne Rooney, Henry and Bergkamp, and people like that. The way of the world is that some teams don't need your services at that time.

"But two teams, well more than two, two I was realistic about were two massive clubs so I'm very grateful for their interest.

"It's transpired that I've signed for Newcastle ahead of the others so I'm delighted about that."

You're not the only one, bonny lad....

Unfortunately, just as Alan Robson had done his best to spoil the Alan Shearer unveiling, Sky's idiotic Jim White performed his circus routine in front of the Leazes end. Someone throw him a fish....

Just after 10am on Tuesday, 30th August 2005 the news broke on the official website that Michael Owen was to sign a four-year deal with Newcastle United for a confirmed fee of £16m.

Owen passed his medical on Tuesday and is to be unveiled at St. James' Park this afternoon. He has already had a walk around the pitch holding his bairn with manager Graeme Souness.

After being introduced to the media at noon, our new no.10 will appear on the pitch in front of a packed Sir John Hall stand at around 1pm (doors open at 11.30).

It's interesting to see how the news is being received around the globe. Ranging from jubilant Geordies to sour-faced Scousers and envious others who seem only too keen to question Owen's motives, fitness and ability to play alongside Alan Shearer.

The BBC and others were still maintaining that Liverpool were going to stage a last minute bid to snatch Owen right up until late on Tuesday evening.

Good, let them all talk. This is a monumental signing that is only just sinking in for most of us. To have captured the current England centre forward at the peak of his career to play alongside Shearer is simply staggering.

And even if the signing of Owen doesn't come off, to see Phil Pinocchio Thompson absolutely gutted on national TV is worth £16m of anyone's money. With sour-grapes twisting his features, the former Liverpool coach and player said: "Newcastle was always his second choice but somehow, some way it's all turned itself round." Marvellous.

The Liverpool Echo claimed the contract has a £12m buyout clause after one season, while Radio 5Live claimed that Newcastle will foot the bill for helicopter rides to and from Chester to training!

However, this one-year get-out clause has been categorically denied by Freddy Shepherd.

To get Owen to sign for anything other than a year-long loan is miraculous. The thought of Owen scoring a hat-trick for us, rather than against us is certainly one to savour.

All that remains now is for us to sign up the world's leading hamstring expert....

Speaking in Tuesday's Times, Michael Owen revealed that Alan Shearer's powers of persuasion were one of the main reasons he decided to sign for Newcastle - revealing Big Al even offered Owen the legendary no.9 shirt:

In his column Owen says:

It was at 1.30 in the early hours of yesterday that I finally decided that I was joining Newcastle United. That decision concluded a head-spinning 24 hours when, from one moment to the next, I thought I might be returning to Liverpool or staying at Real Madrid.

Although there had been a lot of agonising, and a lot of telephone calls, it was an easy decision in the end. People will point out that, only a week or so ago, I listed Newcastle as the last of my options but circumstances change very quickly, as I have discovered.

Given that I will be running out to play football in front of more than 50,000 of the country’s most passionate supporters next week, I am not about to cast around for sympathy.

It was a very long day on Monday but, as I went through the same circle of late-night calls with the three clubs involved in my dilemma, I felt that to return to Madrid would be the wrong decision. I want to play regularly and, if I am honest, part of me had missed the passion of the Premiership.

I was uncertain that a Liverpool bid would be accepted in time and I wanted to play for a club who really wanted me. My mind was made up, particularly when I thought back to the excellent meeting I had enjoyed with the Newcastle directors, management and Alan Shearer.

Alan was a great help throughout and instrumental in my decision. I had spoken to him many times over the past few weeks and he should work for the Newcastle tourist board when he finishes playing football. He even offered to give up his No 9 shirt but I have declined. No 10 will do for me.

I will regard playing alongside him in his last season as an honour. He has been, and still is, a great striker and there is no way that Newcastle should be where they are in the table with that calibre of player.

Alan said how his mind was in turmoil at the time he left Blackburn Rovers and suddenly a clear decision emerged. It was much the same for me after a day that had begun at dawn. I flew by private plane into Liverpool airport and went straight into a meeting with Rick Parry, the chief executive, and Rafael Benítez at a friend’s house in Liverpool.

Rafa and I sat together in the lounge while my adviser discussed my playing contract with Rick in the dining room. We were together for about2½ hours and I would say that it was a good meeting — the most positive I had heard out of Liverpool — and we spoke to Rafa and Rick again on the journey up to Newcastle.

We met the large Newcastle contingent at a grand country house, although I didn’t know there were cameras in the bushes. The meeting went on for almost three hours and what was said made a very strong impression on me.

On the journey home from those talks, my mind was still spinning. Would Liverpool’s offer be in time and accepted? What would happen to me if I stayed at Madrid? How much would I miss European football if I signed for Newcastle?

Then, just before I arrived home, David Moyes rang to see if there was a chance of getting me to Goodison Park and to wish me luck if not. I think he must have known that my Dad was briefly an Everton player and I used to follow them as a boy.

I arrived home at around 9.30pm and sat in the kitchen with my Mum, Dad and wife, Louise. With growing doubts about the Liverpool deal, my mind was made up. It will be strange going back to Anfield with another club but I won’t be the first player to do that and, as Jamie Carragher told me yesterday, he is already looking forward to giving me a kick.

All the Newcastle fans need to know is that I will be giving everything for their cause now. I have been watching the television and seen the queues at the club shop. From what I can tell, 99 per cent of fans are delighted that I have chosen Newcastle and are not wondering about how I got there. It will be like winning the World Cup to win a trophy.

I have got a lot of good memories of scoring goals at St James’ Park, including a hat-trick on my first visit with Liverpool. I was clapped off by the home fans that afternoon and I only hope that I can give them plenty more reasons to cheer me.

Originally posted on: 31st August 2005

Source: www.nufc.com