MICHAEL OWEN has revealed he has not spoken to Alan Shearer in four years, ever since the pair rowed on Twitter about their time at Newcastle.
Owen, 43, played alongside Shearer, 53, for both England and Newcastle.
Alan Shearer and Michael Owen were team-mates at NewcastlePA:Press Association
Owen later played under Shearer when Newcastle were relegatedGraham Hughes – The Times
And Owen even temporarily moved into Shearer’s house after the Toon broke their transfer record to bring him in for £15million in 2009.
But their relationship turned sour when an out-of-sorts Owen failed to perform when Shearer was appointed Newcastle boss for the final eight games of the 2008/09 season.
The Magpies were relegated from the Premier League as Owen left for Manchester United.
In 2019, Owen claimed in his autobiography that Shearer blamed him for the relegation and criticised him behind his back after they dropped down to the Championship.
Shearer responded with a video of Owen saying: “So all I did for six, seven years… I hated it, I couldn’t wait to retire.”
And he added: “Yes Michael, we thought that also, whilst on £120k a week…”
Owen hit back by saying: “Not sure you are as loyal to Newcastle as you make out mate.
“I distinctly remember you being inches away from signing for Liverpool after Sir Bobby Robson put you on the bench. You tried everything to get out.”
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Times Newspapers LtdOwen and Shearer also played together for England[/caption]
Now Owen has claimed he has not spoken to Shearer since the spat.
Speaking to DAZN Bet, he said: “I haven’t spoken to Alan Shearer since he criticised my book, no.
“Alan works at the BBC and I work on other channels, so we rarely cross paths.
“I would say hello and shake his hand, things like that, but no we haven’t spoken since then.”
In an extract from his book, “Michael Owen: Reboot – My Life, My Time”, Owen writes: “He [Shearer] was brought in at St. James’ Park as the saviour, the local boy. It could have been a great story.
“But he failed. Newcastle United were relegated. Perhaps rather than examine his own shortcomings, it felt easier to blame Michael Owen.
“I was a week away from fitness for the final game of the season that saw Newcastle needing a point at Aston Villa to avoid relegation.
“I told him that I wasn’t fully fit but was prepared to play. As I left his office that day, he made an insinuation that led me to believe he thought I had half an eye on my next contract.
“I’m not stupid – we both knew I was out of contract in a few weeks.
“It wasn’t until three months later, I discovered that Alan Shearer was apparently seething with me.
“Not only that, it transpired that he was telling anyone who’d listen what he thought of me.
“When you analyse it, it all makes sense. Shearer’s record as manager in the last eight games of that 2008/2009 season was dire: lost 5, drew 2, won 1. These are hardly God-like stats.
“The truth is, the damage was done long before we went to Villa Park needing to draw. I feel a little sorry for him.
“I’m gutted for him that it never worked out at Newcastle, Alan Shearer and I still haven’t talked this out face to face and that’s a shame because, as I’ve said many, many times, we were very good friends.”
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