'There was something genius about Robbie - an inspiration'
It was 10 years ago this month that Robbie Fowler bagged his 183rd and final goal for Liverpool.
The 41-year-old is currently in the limelight as a contestant on Channel 4 series ‘The Jump’, but it will always be his predatory instincts on the football pitch that the man nicknamed ‘God’ by Reds fans is best remembered for.
And in the new episode of #LFCWORLD, there is a special tribute to the talents of the Kop idol from a former Anfield teammate and fellow prolific striker – Michael Owen.
Free preview: Owen hails Fowler
“I think the nickname ‘God’ sums it up really,” says Owen. “He was a god to the fans but also the young players in the dressing room, growing up wanting to emulate his success.
“I can only imagine that Robbie viewed Ian Rush in a similar way to the way I viewed Robbie!
“Robbie was an inspiration to me coming through the ranks, knowing that somebody else had made it, and you’ve got an idea you want to make it into the first team too.
“I remember going to watch him virtually every game because at that point I was at the Academy and remember him scoring a load of goals.
“Immediately everybody took to Robbie Fowler – he was a local lad, a great lad, he scored goals. There was something genius about him.”
The Englishmen had subtly different styles when it came to putting the ball beyond a goalkeeper, according to Owen, but that did not stop him from studying Fowler closely in training.
“Robbie was a very different player to me, but despite this he was still someone I looked up to and hoped to emulate one day,” he added.
“He was very good in the air for his size, scored goals with both feet and he could hit it with his right foot really well. He probably had more accuracy than I had with my weaker foot, so he was almost two-footed!
“He could score from any angle. The thing I remember most from when we did shooting practice was the purity with which he struck the ball – he could hit it really hard and still be accurate.
“I’m not sure I’ve ever seen with my own eyes a striker that hits the ball so correctly, so pure. He just had everything you’d want in a finisher.”
The full video is available for LFCTV GO subscribers to watch below and also premieres tonight at 8.30pm GMT as part of episode 27 of this season’s #LFCWORLD.
Click here to subscribe to either LFCTV GO or LFCTV, and here to see the channel schedule.