Michael Owen felt 'embarrassed' during post-Liverpool career with Man Utd
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The former England striker confesses he felt "embarrassed" by how significantly his standard had deteriorated in the second half of his playing days for the likes of Newcastle and Manchester United, acknowledging it was "killing him" inside.
Owen burst onto the Premier League scene as just a 17-year-old with Liverpool, rapidly establishing himself with his explosive speed in behind defences and clinical finishing ability.
These fitness issues continued to plague him at Manchester United and subsequently Stoke, with the striker eventually choosing to retire in 2013.
The 45-year-old recently featured on the Rio Presents podcast, where former Red Devils colleague Rio Ferdinand questioned him about the transition from an elite setting to a lesser one.
It's like, I was half embarrassed.
James' Park, Old Trafford, with my name on my back.
"It's like, can I not just change my name and just think of something, like call me something else.
Following his tally of 16 in 45 appearances at Real Madrid, those figures dropped significantly as he endured prolonged injury layoffs and lost his renowned pace.
Speaking about his stints at Newcastle, Manchester United, and Stoke, he added: "I had it for eight years, when I'm thinking, 'I don't like this.'
"I was looking at the clock half of my career, thinking only 20 minutes.
And I couldn't have it anymore that I was just a Premier League player."
Though his displays failed to meet his own lofty standards, Owen's period at Manchester United delivered a coveted Premier League title in 2010-11, alongside another League Cup triumph.
He concluded his career with a record of 222 goals across 482 matches, plus 40 strikes in 89 England appearances.