Ex-Man Utd and Real Madrid star reveals he had secret contract clause to join Liverpool

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Former Liverpool star Michael Owen has revealed he had a secret clause in his Newcastle United contract that could have seen him return to the Reds. Owen, who left Liverpool for Real Madrid in 2004, was keen to return to the Premier League after just one season in Spain.

The striker, who netted 158 goals for Liverpool, eventually signed for Newcastle in 2005 for £16.8million. However, it was his controversial move from Newcastle to Manchester United in 2009 that many believe tarnished his legacy at Anfield.

The ex-England striker has received heavy fire over the years for his decision to join the Red Devils, with Liverpool and United set to reignite their rivalry on Sunday at Anfield. Owen, who has stated that the Liverpool was always in his "heart" , says he was desperate to resign with the Reds after leaving Spain, and again after leaving Newcastle.

The former England international claims he had a clause in his Newcastle contract allowing him to leave for Liverpool after his first season at St James' Park. However, Liverpool declined the chance to bring him back to Merseyside, reports the Liverpool Echo .

Speaking to Mashable India , Owen said: "When I left Real Madrid I had one team I was going to sign for and when that wasn’t allowed, when the president of Real Madrid said, 'You can’t go to Liverpool because Newcastle have offered double the money. If Liverpool offer the same then you can go', but Liverpool were never going to do that.

"I was speaking to the chairman, I was speaking to Rafa Benitez at the time, I was so close to going there until Newcastle doubled the money and almost forced Real Madrid to sell me to them.

"I had some choices, I either stay at Real Madrid or I go to Newcastle. I decided to go to Newcastle. The only reason I signed [for Newcastle] is so I could insert into the contract that after one year I can go to Liverpool, one team in the world . That’s all I wanted to do."

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Defending his later switch to United, he added: "So I had that. But nobody needs to know that. Nobody does know it. Nobody cares to know it. But they do care to say, 'Oh, you played for Liverpool, then you played for Manchester United, you know, you must have no loyalty'".

Owen continued: "Like, come on. If you know the story. When I left Newcastle, I was on the phone to Brendan Rodgers , every single year I was on the phone to the Liverpool manager. It’s Liverpool that didn’t want me back.

"[Luis] Suarez was there, [Fernando] Torres was there. And this is absolutely fine, this is football. I understand that, I don’t hold any grudges to Liverpool for not taking me back when I openly said, 'Please take me, please take me' every single year. That’s life, that’s football.

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"In theory I could hold a grudge against Liverpool and say, 'You said you'd buy me back, we had an agreement you'd take me back and it never happened'".

Owen endured four injury-plagued campaigns at Newcastle, netting 30 times in 79 matches. He subsequently bagged 17 goals across 52 appearances for United, claiming a Premier League title in 2011 plus a League Cup triumph.

The striker moved to Stoke City in September 2012 before hanging up his boots just one season later.