Michael Owen hits back against Robbie Fowler's bold claim as Liverpool verdict delivered

Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen won trophies together at Liverpool in the early 2000s but when it comes to who was the better striker they are not on the same page.

Michael Owen has responded to a claim made by former Liverpool team-mate Robbie Fowler that he was better than him 'in every in every aspect'.

Fowler and Owen followed in the footsteps of the club's record goal scorer, Ian Rush, by becoming top-class Liverpool strikers in their own right. Fowler scored 171 goals in 330 appearances for the Reds in his first spell before returning to Anfield under Rafa Benitez in 2005, adding another 12 goals to his tally.

Owen became a teenage sensation when he scored an unforgettable solo goal for England against Argentina at the 1998 World Cup in France when he was just 18 years old, before going on to score 158 goals for Liverpool in 297 appearances. He also won the Ballon d'Or in 2001.

It meant that fans of the club were left spoilt for choice when it came to attacking options, but in a recent interview, Kop favourite Fowler claimed quite emphatically that he was the better of the two forwards.

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Appearing on the podcast Up front with Simon Jordan, Fowler said: "In all honesty, I've always thought I was better than Michael Owen. He was quicker than me, but in every other element of being a striker, I genuinely think I was better than him.

"He could say the exact opposite but that is just my opinion and my self-confidence – I was better in every aspect of being a striker.‌ Michael wasn't the best player at Liverpool when I played, but I remember him coming through at the club and you could see that he was different class."

Fowler's comments were replayed to Owen by Jim White when the former England international appeared on his talkSPORT breakfast show. Unsurprisingly, the ex-Real Madrid forward did not agree with his ex-team-mate's assessment and offered his own view.

Owen said: "I would expect him [Fowler] to say that. Listen, when I played for Liverpool, who did the manager pick? When I played for England, who did the manager pick? I mean, I don’t have to say it – it was said for me."

Both Owen and Fowler enjoyed decorated Anfield careers, sharing in the success of the 2000-2001 treble-winning season, during which Fowler scored in the League Cup final before Owen hit a memorable brace against Arsenal in the FA Cup final. Fowler would come off the bench to score against Spanish side Alaves in the UEFA Cup final before the Reds completed a historic season with a 5-4 victory courtesy of an 'golden goal' in extra time.

But the pair's England careers took very different paths. While Owen would become a fixture in the Three Lions team, earning 89 caps and scoring 40 goals, stiff competition for places saw Fowler limited to just 26 caps with a return of seven goals.

When it comes to who was the crowd's favourite, Toxteth-born Fowler held a territorial advantage over his striker partner by being Liverpool born and bred, while some Liverpool supporters have never truly forgiven Owen for joining arch rivals Manchester United later in his career.