Michael Owen, Finally Making Himself Useful

By: Martha | November 20th, 2007

Owen OwieFrom the moment he landed in Newcastle, Michael Owen’s been a human injury machine. Already known for his fragility (in addition that whole goal scoring thing), the striker arrived in the Land of the Pulled Hamstring and immediately fell victim to the Newcastle Curse — and, seeing as how he’s Michael Owen and tends to outrun his own hammies on a regular basis, he got the injury bug about 80 times worse that anyone else.

Since joining the Magpies in 2005, Owen has suffered a broken foot, a damaged ACL, seventeen thigh strains and several dozen hernias, about half of them them picked up while on international duty. The nice thing about those in the latter category, though, is that, thanks to a new policy that just went into effect in England, Newcastle will now be financially compensated when they happen. Granted, the FA can’t give NUFC goals, but from now on every time they break Owen, someone from the England set-up will turn up at St. James’ Park with a bouquet, a sad face, and a nice check made out to “That fat bloke what’s in charge.” This time, the check will be for about £500,000, theoretically the wages that Newcastle will be paying the striker as he recovers from the torn thigh muscle he picked up in England’s dreary, meaningless friendly victory over Austria at the weekend.

The only risk in this new policy is that it could lead to clubs putting out contracts on particularly out of favor players, hoping to wring a little cash out of them as they sit on the bench or in the stand. (Peter Crouch? Watch your back.)

[Via Caught Offside]

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Comments  

  • Laurie |  November 20th, 2007 at 10:13 am

    cornercorner

    And managers the world over are wishing this same rule applied to all players called up by Raymond Domenech.

    Posted from United States United States

    cornercorner
  • casio |  November 20th, 2007 at 12:34 pm

    cornercorner

    I think Owen is still important in the National Squad….England needs people like him to score goals….Rooney is likely his counterpart on the other side of the pitch…that being said, go England!!

    Posted from Colombia Colombia

    cornercorner

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