Source: Telegraph
Michael Owen regrets making comeback at 2006 World Cup finals
Owen has conceded that he paid the price for rushing himself back into action for the tournament after being struck by the curse of the metatarsal and he was ultimately punished while on England duty in Germany with a career-threatening knee injury that sidelined him for a whole season.
"If you look at my time at Newcastle, the problems started when Paul Robinson landed on my foot against Tottenham just after Christmas," Owen said.
"Loads of people get metatarsal injuries, but they are normally not as bad as mine. Nobody's foot would not have broken in that situation.
"I've then rushed my preparations for the World Cup. I played half-a-game for Newcastle. After being in plaster for so long my leg was de-conditioned and with hindsight, I should never have gone to Germany with England.
"It's easy to say that now, but if I had my time again I would still have gone because it was a World Cup. I'm not thinking what could have been, but with hindsight my leg was half as strong as it should have been.
"Muscles support limbs and I twisted my knee awkwardly and that was it. All that came from someone landing on my foot, so I don't think it's my fault."
By his own admission, his claims will sound ludicrous but the former Liverpool striker - once dubbed 'Northern Crock' - has insisted that he is "not injury-prone".
His unhappy spell at St James' Park would suggest otherwise, but 29-year-old has defended himself although he has managed just 60 games for Newcastle since he left Real Madrid for Tyneside in August 2005.
Owen, expected to quit Newcastle when his contract expires this summer, has suffered a series of injuries that have curbed his activities in the North-East since his move having been struck by the curse of the metatarsal in his first season with the Toon following his club-record £17-million move.
"There is no hiding from the fact injuries have been the bane of my time at Newcastle," Owen said.
"It is frustrating, however, and people will probably laugh, but I know I'm not injury-prone.
"I know I've had valid reasons for why I've picked up injuries. I had a reputation for being injury-prone because I'd had a few hamstring problems at Liverpool.
"At Real Madrid people said I was on the bench the whole time, but I started more games than I was a substitute.
"Then came the foot and knee injuries. Since then I've had hernia surgery - which is very common - and I was playing again and scoring nine days later against Everton. This season I twisted my ankle, which was another freak thing because I landed on the foot of the defender and that caused the problem.
"I can understand people saying I should have played more because nobody wants to play more than me, but it does frustrate me when people say I'm injury-prone.
"There is no way I go on to the pitch and I am more fragile than anyone else. The injuries I've had could have happened to anyone in those circumstances."
Owen returned to action for Newcastle last weekend at Hull having missed the previous five games due to an ankle injury he suffered against Manchester City in January.
He will spearhead Newcastle's attack on Saturday when Arsenal head North with his club desperately needing points to pull away from the relegation zone.
"Hopefully the injuries haven't detracted from me as a player," Owen said. "I've adapted my game as I've got older and my body has dictated that to an extent. When I was 18 and 19 I was flying down the wings like a greyhound, beating players and crossing the ball.
"Alan Shearer was the same, he changed his game and became more of a target man towards the end, but he still got the goals.
"Clever players will always manage to adapt, they will always find a way of prevailing even if their bodies change.
"The one thing I've got a history of is taking one or two games to get into my stride again, but we haven't got time for me to do that. Hopefully my eye is in straight away and I start knocking the goals in again immediately."
