Liverpool Robbie Fowler

1 liverpool

1.1 success , fame
1.2 spice boys
1.3 winning cup treble
1.4 liverpool departure

liverpool

robbie fowler during steven gerrard s testimonial on 3 august 2013.

fowler s career began liverpool. signed youth team player on leaving school in middle of 1991, signing professional terms on 17th birthday, 9 april 1992.

fowler s first involvement liverpool first team came on 13 january 1993, when unused substitute in fa cup third round tie against bolton wanderers. in following close season, fowler helped england under-18 team win 1993 european championship, before making scoring first-team debut in liverpool s 3–1 win in first round league cup tie @ fulham on 22 september 1993. fowler scored 5 goals in second leg @ anfield 2 weeks later, making him fourth player in liverpool s history score 5 in senior fixture. scored first league hat-trick against southampton in fifth league game. first league goal reds had come on 16 october 1993, when 87th-minute equaliser @ home struggling oldham athletic saved reds have been 1 of biggest premier league shocks of season, last gasp own goal giving liverpool 2–1 win. scored twice in thrilling 3–3 draw @ tottenham hotspur on 18 december.

his first 13 games club yielded 12 goals, , rewarded england under-21 debut against san marino in november 1993, in scored england s opening goal in third minute. fowler unable sustain goal-a-game ratio throughout season, finished first season club s leading scorer 18 goals in competitions, although ian rush had scored more goals in league. was, however, disappointing season liverpool, finished eighth in premier league without making impact in of major competitions, though departure of graeme souness manager , appointment of roy evans successor built hope future.

success , fame

in 1994–95 season, fowler ever-present liverpool, playing in of 57 competitive matches, including victory in 1995 league cup final, , match against arsenal in scored premier league s second fastest hat-trick ever, in 4 minutes , 33 seconds.

his record stood twenty years until broken sadio mané on 16 may 2015 southampton against aston villa, scored 3 goals in 2 minutes , 56 seconds. scored braces against aston villa, ipswich town, chelsea , norwich city in league season.

fowler voted pfa young player of year in 2 consecutive years in 1995 , 1996, feat equalled ryan giggs, wayne rooney , dele alli.

throughout mid , late 1990s, fowler considered natural finisher playing in england.

fowler sealed reputation scored more 30 goals 3 consecutive seasons, 1997. remains player have scored 30 plus goals in first 3 full seasons in england scoring 98 goals total of 116 in 3 , half years, has yet beaten in la liga, seria , bundesliga too. fowler s partnership steve mcmanaman largely described reason why liverpool had become club known being potent attacking force in england @ time, , fowler renowned scoring goals of varieties, every angle , distance, mcmanaman describing him greatest goalscorer of time.

stan collymore, fowler s strike partner 1995–97, said in autobiography fowler best player has ever played alongside. fowler , collymore among prolific goal-scoring strike partnerships in england during 1995–96 season. in same season scored twice in 4–3 victory on newcastle united, match voted best of decade in premier league poll. match helped prevent newcastle winning league, not enough liverpool clinch title; finished third while manchester united crowned champions. fowler played in first fa cup final season, on losing side manchester united won 1–0.

fowler received call-up full england squad , won first cap on 27 march 1996 substitute in friendly against bulgaria. first start @ international level against croatia england game following substitute appearance. fowler part of england squad euro 1996, making 2 appearances in tournament. on 14 december 1996, scored 4 against middlesbrough, including hundredth liverpool. meant reached century of goals 1 game quicker first strike partner, ian rush, in 165 games.

that year, won uefa fair play award denying had been fouled arsenal goalkeeper david seaman @ highbury after penalty had been given.

after unsuccessfully trying persuade referee change decision penalty, fowler took tamely , seaman saved. however, seaman failed hold on ball , jason mcateer scored rebound. although many people believe deliberately took penalty kick poorly reasons of fair play, fowler said @ time: goalscorer s part of job take , wanted score it. tried score. never missed on purpose. happened, bad penalty.

spice boys

fowler part of group of liverpool players mid-1990s dubbed spice boys press following series of off-field controversies. term coined daily mail, , arose due misplaced rumours fowler dating spice girl emma bunton. term subsequently used in derogatory manner, implying fowler , colleagues such jamie redknapp, stan collymore, david james , steve mcmanaman underachieving playboys.

fowler s performance in 1997–98 football season marred anterior cruciate (knee) ligament injury kept him out of action half season , caused him miss 1998 world cup. during period of injury, fellow liverpool striker, michael owen rose prominence, making debut in 1997. owen established himself in liverpool team in fowler s absence.

in 1999, fowler fined £60,000 club bringing game disrepute. while celebrating goal against liverpool s merseyside rivals, everton, fowler used white line of penalty area simulate cocaine use. liverpool manager gérard houllier stated cameroonian grass-eating celebration, learnt teammate rigobert song. defending himself, fowler later said response everton fans had insulted him false accusations of drug abuse. fowler received four-match suspension fa incident. @ same fa disciplinary hearing, fowler received further 2 match suspension due separate incident in had homophobically taunted chelsea defender graeme le saux waving backside @ him le saux s wife , children watched stands. fowler later attempted justify actions suggesting taunts extension of gamesmanship. fa imposed £32,000 fine , six-match ban 2 incidents. fowler has since apologized le saux incident.

winning cup treble

the 2000–01 season fowler s successful season. appeared in 3 finals, scoring 17 goals , lifting 3 trophies in unique cup treble. in absence of jamie redknapp, sidelined injury, fowler named liverpool captain when started. found himself third-choice liverpool striker, houllier favouring forward partnership of michael owen , emile heskey.

he took part in fourth round league cup hammering of stoke city, scoring hat-trick in 8–0 victory, second club s biggest ever win in 1986 – 10–0 defeat of fulham. in league cup final against birmingham city, club s first cup final since 1996, captained side , scored in 30th minute. liverpool went on win trophy on penalties, fowler scoring liverpool s fifth in shootout. fowler picked alan hardaker man of match award , lifted trophy.

fowler s season picked there scored several important goals including 1 against runaway champions manchester united , free kick in fa cup semi-final against wycombe wanderers. fowler featured substitute in 2001 fa cup final coming on 77th-minute replacement vladimír Šmicer. liverpool, 1–0 down @ point, won game 2–1 2 goals owen. fowler raised trophy along sami hyypiä , jamie redknapp.

four days later substitute again in liverpool s third final, 2001 uefa cup final against deportivo alavés. came on in 64th minute heskey score @ 3–3. scored 7 minutes later alavés equalised before full-time , liverpool won golden goal, own goal, in 116th minute. fowler , hyypiä raised liverpool s third trophy of season together. liverpool s next , final game of season against charlton athletic , fowler scored twice in 4–0 victory @ valley assured them uefa champions league qualification next season.

liverpool departure

fowler began 2001–02 season controversially, after being dropped manager gérard houllier liverpool squad 2001 charity shield match following training ground confrontation assistant manager phil thompson. made appearance in liverpool s 3–2 european super cup victory on bayern munich, starts intermittent. in october 2001, scored first league hat-trick 3 years, helping liverpool beat leicester city 4–1, dropped following league match. though fowler had been on contract extension 1999 (unlike steve mcmanaman – exercised bosman entitlement same year), fowler linked lazio, arsenal , leeds, , liverpool s management fans , media reported happened mcmanaman (regarded huge financial loss) never repeated , club never rejected bids without consideration. meant coupled fowler s relationship houllier, speculation on fowler s future persisted of houllier s tenure , became issue divided liverpool fans. last appearance liverpool against sunderland, in substituted @ half-time.