Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler has given fans a new perspective on his extraordinary career from the perspective of the shirt.
In the latest episode of BT Sports' "The Jersey I Wore", Fowler was asked to use the shirt as a clue to talk about important moments in his career.
Fowler is from liverpool's academy and wore the Reds' No. 9 shirt. As a meritorious striker, he scored 163 goals in 344 appearances for the team. Fans hailed him as "God".
Fowler, 44, admitted at the start of the show that he was actually an Everton fan at a young age. He said: "When I was a kid, I loved Everton. My mother's family on my side is an Everton fan. My father would take me to the court to watch the game, and one Christmas I got a blue bike with the Everton logo on it. ”
"It may sound stupid, but I remember I also had an Aston Villa shirt and a Tottenham Hotspur short sleeve. I don't know why I have these clothes. I just simply love football and I enjoy watching the strong teams play. ”
"A lot of Everton die-hard fans hate Liverpool about Liverpool and Everton, but I've never been such an Everton fan. Due to social reasons, the time when I grew up was very difficult for everyone, and football was everyone's spiritual comfort. ”
Fowler joined the Liverpool Academy in the summer of 1991 and was awarded a professional contract in April of the following year. Fowler made his first-team debut in Liverpool's 3–1 League Cup win over Fulham in September 1993, in which he scored a goal and his keen sense of smell in front of goal was on full display. Fowler quickly became the team's main striker, getting the chance to partner another legend, Ian Rush. His importance to the team is also growing.
Following the bracket of the shirt hanging from it, Fowler found the shirt for the 1995-96 season. He believes that this season is where his personal peak lies. "My favourites are two Liverpool shirts and this is one of them. Its collar resembles a cricket jersey. It may not have been the best looking, but looking back on my professional playing career, I think my best performance was the season I wore this shirt. I think this shirt is awesome. Another shirt, I also scored a lot of goals in it. ”
"But I feel more confident when I wear this shirt and I'm always a confident person. We had a couple of legendary players in the dressing room at the time, but it didn't make me uncomfortable around them. I have my own inner beliefs and I think it helps to score goals. I'm not the kind of person who is arrogant or arrogant, but I'm always confident from the bottom of my heart. ”
Fowler was voted PFA Young Player of the Year for two consecutive years in 1995 and 1996. In addition to him, only Giggs, Rooney and Ali have won the award for two consecutive years. He was also widely regarded as the talented goal-stopper in the Premier League at the time.
When asked to compare himself to other top strikers in the league at the time, Fowler said he was happy with his level and performance. He said: "I've said before that I'm always confident. You look at the players at the time, Alain Shearer, Les Ferdinand, Gianluca Vialli, Jimmy Freud Heiselbaink, they were all fearsome strikers. But I don't think I'm worse than them. It sounds silly because my resume may not be as good as theirs, but I never feel like I'm behind them. ”
In 2001, under Hollier, Fowler won the Treble with the team. But the following season, he found himself no longer seemingly an indispensable member of the team. With the rise of Michael Owen and the maturation of his partnership with Husky, the team is far less dependent on Fowler than ever before. This made Fowler think it might be time to leave, so he moved to Leeds United.
"You know very well that your position in the squad is declining and the coach doesn't value you at all. You tell you to do one set and do one set. It was difficult to make the decision to leave the squad because Liverpool is my life. To be honest, it's the only club I want to play for. ”
"But anything can happen in football and you have to adapt to it. Leaving Liverpool was my decision and although I didn't want to, I had to. It was a tough decision to make. I want to stay at Liverpool, but I also want to play. Sometimes the coach didn't need you, which is why I left the team at the time. ”
Fowler has since scored 14 goals in 31 appearances for Leeds United before joining Manchester City. However, he is deeply troubled by condition and injury problems in Manchester. Fowler spent three years at the Etihad Stadium before the idea of returning to Liverpool. He returned to the Reds on a free transfer in 2006, by which time the manager had been replaced by Rafa Benitez. After his return, Fowler was warmly welcomed by the fans.
Fowler said going back to where his career began was the highlight of his career. "Going back to Liverpool is like coming home, Liverpool is a place I never want to leave. It was the most enjoyable moment of my life and made me happier than scoring goals and winning titles. ”
(Editor: Yao Fan)