Michael Owen has hinted that Manchester United could be the last team he plays for because he has no intention of dropping into the lower divisions as he gets older (United 4/7 – 90 minutes betting v Tottenham).
The 30-year-old began his career at Liverpool and scored 158 goals from 297 appearances in all competitions while at Anfield but was sold to Spanish giants Real Madrid in 2004 when seemingly still at the peak of his career.
The Chester-born hit-man managed to bag 13 goals in 35 league appearances for the Bernabeu giants, despite coming off the bench in a number of games and only having the last 30 minutes or so in which to make his mark.
Despite becoming a fans’ favourite with the Spaniards he joined Newcastle after just one term in Madrid and spent four injury-plagued seasons at St James’ Park, scoring 30 goals in 79 appearances in all competitions for the Magpies.
With Newcastle slipping into the Championship for the 2009-2010 campaign, Owen was snapped up by Sir Alex Ferguson but scored just three Premier League goals in 19 appearances – many from the bench – for the Red Devils last season.
Owen has only started six top-flight matches since arriving at Old Trafford and has scored just one goal from four appearances in the current campaign.
He has now been ruled out for a few weeks with a hamstring injury and appears way down the United strikers pecking order, with Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov, Javier Hernandez and Federico Macheda all seemingly ahead of him in Ferguson’s thoughts (United 9/2 to win Premier League).
Owen’s current United deal runs out next summer and it is open to question as to whether or not he will be offered new terms and the former England international admits he would love to stay at the club while hinting that he would rather hang up his boots than move to a lesser club.
“I would honestly love to stay but you will have to ask the manager about the long term,” he told the Sun. “I could score at this level for many years and would love it to be at a top club like United.
“Whether I would want to be dropping down to a poorer Premier League team, I don’t know. Yes I could score goals but I would probably get less opportunities and less enjoyment. I just don’t feel my game is suited to a team that is really struggling. I won’t drop down leagues.”
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