Robbie Fowler

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Robbie Fowler
Robbie Fowler.jpg
Fowler in the Liverpool Shirt (2007)
Personnel
Surname Robert Bernard Fowler
birthday April 9, 1975
place of birth Liverpool ,  England
position striker
Juniors
Years station
1984-1993 Liverpool FC
Men's
Years station Games (goals) 1
1993-2001 Liverpool FC 236 (120)
2001-2003 Leeds United 30 0(14)
2003-2006 Manchester City 80 0(20)
2006-2007 Liverpool FC 30 00(8)
2007-2008 Cardiff City 13 00(4)
2008 Blackburn Rovers 3 00(0)
2009-2010 North Queensland Fury 26 00(9)
2010-2011 Perth Glory 28 00(9)
2011–2012 Muangthong United 13 00(2)
National team
Years selection Games (goals)
1993-1995 England U-21 8 00(3)
1994 England B 1 00(1)
1996-2002 England 26 00(7)
Stations as a trainer
Years station
2011 Milton Keynes Dons (assistant coach)
2011–2012 Muangthong United
2019– Brisbane Roar
1 Only league games are given.

Robert Bernard "Robbie" Fowler (born April 9, 1975 in Toxteth , Liverpool ) is a former English football player .

The greatest success for the striker trained at Liverpool FC and 26-time England international was the “ triple ” of the UEFA Cup , FA Cup and English league cup for the “Reds” in 2001 - plus a subsequent Super Cup win. After further stints in Leeds (2001-2003) and Manchester (2003-2006), intermittent return to his old place of work (2006-2007) and brief guest appearances in Cardiff (2007-2008) and Blackburn (2008), he moved to the in 2009 Australian A-League , where he was after a detour North Queensland Fury (2009-2010) last until the beginning of 2011 for Perth Glory .

From March 2011, he gained his first practical experience in coaching as an assistant to the sports management team at the Milton Keynes Dons .

Professional career

In the club

Liverpool FC

Start of the career (until 1994)

Robbie Fowler was born as Robert Bernard Ryder in Liverpool's problematic Toxteth district, and in an environment characterized by high unemployment, playing football on the street was very important to the young Robert from an early age. Although he chose Everton as his favorite club, he ended up with rivals Liverpool . Responsible for this was Jim Aspinall, who worked as a talent scout for the "Reds" and discovered the somewhat small-grown talent in a U-14 school selection. Everton also had him "on their radar" and had him play in their own U-17 team a few times as a 14-year-old, but the connection with Liverpool FC became more and more manifest and finally Fowler signed there on his 17th birthday his first professional contract.

Almost a year later, Fowler sat for the professional team at the end of the 1992/93 season for the first time on the occasion of an FA Cup game against Bolton Wanderers and at the beginning of the following season 1993/94 he made his debut on September 22, 1993 at 3: 1 league cup success against Fulham FC . If he had already scored his own goal here, it was "on everyone's lips" two weeks later after his next appearance against the same opponent. He scored all five goals to a 5-0 win, although only three other Liverpool players had achieved such a yield before, and thus made a lasting contribution to the Premier League , especially since his team had just lost three games in a row without him. Fowler's debut at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea did not prevent the fourth bankruptcy in a row, but at the latest after his three goals against Southampton FC in the fifth league and a total of 13 goals in the first 15 competitive games, Fowler was one of the new "rising" Stars ”in English football - in the end there were 18 goals of the season.

Sporting breakthrough (1994–1998)

As part of the league cup winner in 1995 , Fowler then received the award for England's Footballer of the Year in the junior player category . At the side of the long-time record scorer Ian Rush , he had previously finally earned a regular place, was also dangerous in the penalty area and ball safe "from the depths", which he had also shown to be a good preparer. In addition to the cup success, the highlight was a hat trick against Arsenal on August 28, 1994 within four minutes and 33 seconds. Fowler already showed in the following 1995/96 season that the performances were no exception. Here he not only surpassed the 31 goals of the season by another five, but was particularly motivated against the top-class English defensive ranks - this was reflected in four goals in the two games against Manchester United , another "triple pack" against Arsenal and five goals in three encounters with Aston Villa . He again won the young professional election for the best English footballer and was rewarded with his first international matches in the English senior team plus a nomination for the upcoming Euro 1996 in his own country .

After the departure of Ian Rush, Fowler remained his club's top scorer with 31 goals in the 1996/97 season, although his strike partners have now changed. He was particularly sorely missed at the end of the season when a red card against rivals from Everton put him out of action for the last three league games and his club, which had long been promising in the championship race, ended up with only four points fourth rank slipped. Ironically, in another "friendly derby" against local rivals, Fowler tore a cruciate ligament on February 23, 1998 during a duel with Norwegian goalkeeper Thomas Myhre , which forced him to take a long break and cost him participation in the 1998 World Cup in France - During his absence, he was replaced by the then 18-year-old Michael Owen , who used the opportunities offered to him both in the club and with the “Three Lions” and in turn became the new “Shooting Star” in English football.

Turning points and the "triple" (1998–2001)

The serious knee injury was of decisive importance for Fowler's further career - he himself described the "unlucky day" in retrospect as the worst moment of his career. Although he took part in the action again in the 1998/99 season as Michael Owen's strike partner and showed his old strengths with two goals against Charlton Athletic (3: 3) and three goals against Southampton FC (7: 1), but with the sporting problems were joined by minor "scandals". In addition to negative press on the part of the boulevard, he received two longer bans. This was due to his alleged provocations against Chelsea defender Graeme Le Saux and an inappropriately perceived goal celebration against Everton when Fowler imitated sniffing cocaine on the sideline. The 1999/2000 season was disappointing for him when, after a good start against his “favorite opponent” Arsenal, he only made 14 appearances due to injury.

In 2001, Fowler won the “triple” of League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup for Liverpool FC . Nevertheless, the 2000/01 season had also turned out to be problematic. At the beginning of the season, ankle problems had forced him to take breaks and next to Michael Owen, the newly signed Emile Heskey emerged as the ideal complement. The identification figure, formerly revered as “God” by his own supporters, was demoted to the team of coach Gérard Houllier as a supplementary player. What was particularly disappointing for him was that he was not in the starting line-up in the FA Cup and UEFA Cup finals, although he was substituted on in both games and scored a goal against Deportivo Alavés . The prospects continue to deteriorate; the differences with Houllier and assistant coach Phil Thompson - both mocked as " Jekyll & Hyde " by Fowler in his autobiography - increased and thus the three goals against Leicester City (4: 1) in October 2001 were the last sporting highlight of " Toxteth Terror, ”as Fowler was also called. Despite all the differences on and off the field in Anfield , his sudden move in late November 2001 for a transfer fee of eleven million pounds to first division rivals Leeds United came as a surprise.

Leeds United (2001-2003)

His debut in Leeds was unspectacular at first, but with three goals on Boxing Day for a 3-0 win against Bolton Wanderers , Fowler indicated his qualities. Together with the Australian Mark Viduka he formed a not unsuccessful storm duo in the 2001/02 season, as demonstrated by the joint 23 league goals, of which Fowler, in turn, united the majority with 12 goals.

Fowler was absent due to a hip injury at the beginning of the 2002/03 season and only made his comeback in December 2002 against the Bolton Wanderers. The fact that his club used the winter transfer period the following month to sell him to Manchester City was less due to his wounds than to the threatening financial situation. Leeds United had "gambled away" by missing the Champions League qualification and the lack of income caused liquidity bottlenecks, which were now increasingly mitigated by proceeds such as the six million from the Fowler transfer.

Manchester City (2003-2006)

In the remaining games of the 2002/03 season, Fowler was initially difficult to get going and scored only twice in his 13 appearances. The supporters of the "Citizens" already expressed their displeasure with regard to the high investment, which now threatened not to pay off, when Fowler played his way back into focus with combative virtues. With a total of ten competitive game goals, he now hit double digits as in the following season 2004/05. Here he scored eleven goals, including the "anniversary goal " on February 28, 2005 against Norwich City - his 150th goal in the Premier League. Nonetheless, the season ended disappointingly for him when Fowler missed a 90th-minute penalty against Middlesbrough FC on the final day of the match , which ultimately cost Manchester City the UEFA Cup qualification.

A back injury put Fowler "out of action" at the beginning of the 2005/06 season. Despite a successful comeback in the FA Cup against Scunthorpe United , when he scored three goals in a game for Manchester City for the first time, then coach Stuart Pearce signaled to him that the contract, which expired in summer 2006, would not be extended. This was followed at the end of January 2006 by the announcement of his return to Liverpool, where a "striker crisis" had broken out at the time - the top scorer at that time was a midfielder with Steven Gerrard .

Return to Liverpool (2006-2007)

Fowler's contract was initially limited to the rest of the season's games, but after good impressions and five goals, coach Rafael Benítez rewarded him with the extension of his contract for another year. However, hopes for a revival of the "good old days" were not fulfilled. With the new purchases of Craig Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt, Benítez ensured a sustainable upgrade in the offensive problem area and Fowler was only the "fourth choice" as a direct consequence. The few moments of success were limited to converted penalties - on matchday one against Sheffield United and in the return streak against the same opponent two penalties within just four minutes - and the rest of the time he was the substitute player. So the decision to go their separate ways again after the 2006/07 season was inevitable. In recognition of his services, he was in the final three league games in the starting lineup and on the last day of the game he led the "Reds" against Charlton Athletic as captain.

Last career stations (since 2007)

Fowler in the North Queensland Fury Jersey (2009)

On July 21, 2007, Fowler moved to Cardiff City in the English second division, where he signed a one-year contract plus the option for a further year - for Fowler provided that a certain minimum number of bets were made. Cardiff City upgraded significantly and alongside Fowler, the experienced Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was the second "high-profile" newcomer to the Welsh club, which even reached the FA Cup final in the 2007/08 season. However, Fowler was only marginally involved in what had been achieved. He only scored six competitive goals and had to undergo an operation in the USA because of his long-term hip injury. So it was not surprising that Fowler was absent from the crucial phase - especially the cup final - and left the club after a year after failed contract negotiations.

While the Blackburn Rovers in the Portuguese Algarve were preparing for the new 2008/09 season, coach Paul Ince Fowler signed a contract on a pay-as-you-play basis - payment was made per game. Since Fowler was only used in three league games in the following three months and was only in the starting line-up in the game against Bolton Wanderers, the financial burden for the Blackburn club was limited. At the beginning of 2009 he moved as a marquee player to the newly formed Australian A-League team North Queensland Fury and a year later to league rivals Perth Glory . In March 2011, Fowler took on an engagement with the English third division club Milton Keynes Dons after his close friend Karl Robinson had become a coach there and he had asked him for support in relation to special training for his attackers. He then did internships at Bury FC and Liverpool FC .

In early June, Fowler announced that he did not want to return to Perth. He also announced the end of his career in order to be able to concentrate on training as a coach in the future, but then hired again in July 2011 at the Thai first division club Muangthong United .

English national team

Robbie Fowler, 2011

Fowler was honored at an early age in English youth teams and played a key role in the U-18's 1993 European championship when he was the top scorer with five hits in four players, although initially only sitting on the bench. It followed in November 1993 against San Marino his debut in the U-21 selection ; there, too, he immediately signed the scorers list. By 1995 Fowler accumulated eight U-21 internationals before he gained his first experience in his own country in the senior national team in the run-up to the Euro 1996 .

At the end of the 1995/96 season, in which Fowler drew attention to himself with 36 competitive goals for Liverpool FC, he celebrated his debut on March 27, 1996 against Bulgaria (1-0) by substitution and just under a month later he faced Croatia (0-0) in the starting line-up for the first time. As a substitute for Alan Shearer and Teddy Sheringham , who were in the front line, coach Terry Venables nominated him for the English squad ; in the tournament itself Fowler came to two short appearances against the Netherlands (4: 1) and Spain (4: 2 nE ). He scored his first international goal on March 29, 1997 against Mexico and quite a few experts predicted that he would soon develop into a regular player.

That this did not happen was primarily due to his cruciate ligament tear in February 1998. As a result, he missed a possible participation in the 1998 World Cup in France and then had to watch his club mate Michael Owen overtake him with good performances. After his comeback he was still part of the expanded squad of the "Three Lions" and also at the Euro 2000 in Belgium and the Netherlands , but it was not enough to replace the regular players Shearer or Owen. After Shearer's resignation, Emile Heskey gradually developed into the ideal strike partner for Owen. Fowler took part again in the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea , but his last appearance in the round of 16 against Denmark (3-0) was not followed by any further use. In total, Fowler scored seven goals in his total of 26 internationals - including only eleven games from the start.

Fowler as an athlete, media perception and activities besides football

With six goals in the first five competitive games of Liverpool FC , Fowler suddenly catapulted himself into public focus at the end of September 1993. Despite its slim figure, which is atypical for British football, it became one of the first "figureheads" of the still young Premier League and comparisons were made early on with Jimmy Greaves - one of the most successful goal scorers of the post-war period. Especially in interaction with his friend and winger Steve McManaman , he was formative for the offensive game of the "Reds" in the mid-1990s. In addition to his goalscoring qualities, which was expressed in the fact that he scored more than 30 mandatory goals in three consecutive seasons between 1994 and 1997, he also had a somewhat arrogant image off the field early on. In this context, the appearance at the 1996 FA Cup final against Manchester United (0-1) had a lasting effect, when the entire team appeared in white suits and Fowler with his teammates such as Jamie Redknapp , Stan Collymore , David James and Steve McManaman when "Spice Boys" and "Playboys" were ridiculed.

After his severe cruciate ligament injury in February 1998, Fowler was the subject of public controversy, especially in the spring of 1999. First he delivered on February 27, 1999 a skirmish on the pitch with Graeme Le Saux from Chelsea , in the aftermath of which Fowler was suspended for two games. Fowler allegedly uttered verbal and gesticulating insults towards Le Saux throughout the game and alluded to the defender's alleged homosexuality . A good month later, on April 3, 1999, after a converted penalty against Everton , he made a negative note of himself again when he imitated sniffing cocaine on a pitch marking line - in his autobiography published in September 2005 he described the last-mentioned incident as Joke and rejected the presumption of an innuendo.

Outside of football, Fowler has a keen interest in horse racing and maintains the Macca and Growler Partnership with his best friend Steve McManaman.

Title / Awards

Season statistics

society league season league Nat. Cup League Cup European Cup Other total
Games Gates Games Gates Games Gates Games Gates Games Gates Games Gates
Liverpool FC Premier League 1993/94 28 12 1 0 5 6th - - - - 34 18th
1994/95 42 25th 7th 2 8th 4th - - - - 57 31
1995/96 38 28 7th 6th 4th 2 4th 0 - - 53 36
1996/97 32 18th 1 1 4th 5 7th 7th - - 44 31
1997/98 20th 9 1 0 4th 3 3 1 - - 28 13
1998/99 25th 14th 2 1 2 1 6th 2 - - 35 18th
1999/00 14th 3 - - - - - - - - 14th 3
2000/01 27 8th 5 2 5 6th 11 1 - - 48 17th
2001/02 10 3 - - - - 7th 1 - - 17th 4th
total 236 120 24 12 32 27 38 12 - - 330 171
Leeds United Premier League 2001/02 22nd 12 1 0 - - - - - - 23 12
2002/03 8th 2 1 0 - - 1 0 - - 10 2
total 30th 14th 2 0 - - 1 0 - - 33 14th
Manchester City Premier League 2002/03 14th 2 - - - - - - - - 14th 2
2003/04 31 7th 4th 1 2 1 4th 1 - - 41 10
2004/05 31 10 - - 1 1 - - - - 32 11
2005/06 4th 1 1 3 - - - - - - 5 4th
total 80 20th 5 4th 3 2 4th 1 - - 92 28
Liverpool FC Premier League 2005/06 14th 5 - - - - 2 0 - - 16 5
2006/07 16 3 - - 3 2 4th 2 - - 23 7th
total 30th 8th - - 3 2 6th 2 - - 39 12
Cardiff City Championship 2007/08 13 4th - - 3 2 - - - - 16 6th
total 13 4th - - 3 2 - - - - 16 6th
Blackburn Rovers Premier League 2008/09 3 0 - - - - 3 0 - - 6th 0
total 3 0 - - - - 3 0 - - 6th 0
North Queensland Fury A-League 2009/10 26th 9 - - - - - - - - 26th 9
total 26th 9 - - - - - - - - 26th 9
Perth Glory A-League 2010/11 28 9 - - - - - - - - 28 9
total 28 9 - - - - - - - - 28 9
Muangthong United Thai Premier League 2011 13 2 4th 2 1 0 2 0 - - 20th 4th
total 13 2 4th 2 1 0 2 0 - - 20th 4th
Career total 458 186 35 18th 45 33 51 15th - - 589 252

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ FOWLER FLIES IN ( Memento from March 5, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) (mkdons.com)
  2. ↑ a b "Robbie Fowler - goalscoring phenomenon" (LFCHistory.net)
  3. ↑ Barry J. Hugman (Ed.): The 1995-1996 Official PFA Footballers Factfile . Lennard Queen Anne Press, 1995, ISBN 978-0-09-180854-9 , pp. 77 .
  4. ↑ Barry J. Hugman (Ed.): The 1996-1997 Official PFA Footballers Factfile . Lennard Queen Anne Press, 1996, ISBN 978-1-85291-571-1 , pp. 90 .
  5. ↑ Barry J. Hugman (Ed.): The 1997-1998 Official PFA Footballers Factfile . Lennard Queen Anne Press, 1997, ISBN 978-1-85291-581-0 , pp. 99 .
  6. ↑ Barry J. Hugman (Ed.): The 1998-1999 Official PFA Footballers Factfile . Lennard Queen Anne Press, 1998, ISBN 978-1-85291-588-9 , pp. 106 .
  7. ↑ Barry J. Hugman (Ed.): The 1999-2000 Official PFA Footballers Factfile . Lennard Queen Anne Press, 1999, ISBN 978-1-85291-607-7 , pp. 108 .
  8. ↑ Barry J. Hugman (Ed.): The 2000-2001 Official PFA Footballers Factfile . Lennard Queen Anne Press, 2000, ISBN 978-1-85291-626-8 , pp. 114 f .
  9. ↑ Barry J. Hugman (Ed.): The 2001-2002 Official PFA Footballers Factfile . Lennard Queen Anne Press, 2001, ISBN 978-0-946531-34-9 , pp. 108 .
  10. ↑ a b Barry J. Hugman (Ed.): The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2002/2003 . Lennard Queen Anne Press, 2002, ISBN 978-1-85291-648-0 , pp. 148 .
  11. ↑ a b Barry J. Hugman (Ed.): The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2003/2004 . Lennard Queen Anne Press, 2003, ISBN 978-1-85291-651-0 , pp. 154 .
  12. ↑ Barry J. Hugman (Ed.): The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2004/2005 . Lennard Queen Anne Press, 2004, ISBN 978-1-85291-660-2 , pp. 148 .
  13. ↑ Barry J. Hugman (Ed.): The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2005/2006 . Lennard Queen Anne Press, 2005, ISBN 978-1-85291-662-6 , pp. 148 f .
  14. ^ "City pay the penalty for Fowler miss" (The Telegraph)
  15. ↑ a b Barry J. Hugman (Ed.): The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2006–2007 . Mainstream Publishing, 2006, ISBN 978-1-84596-111-4 , pp. 147 f .
  16. ↑ Barry J. Hugman (Ed.): The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2007-2008 . Mainstream Publishing, 2007, ISBN 978-1-84596-246-3 , pp. 149 .
  17. ↑ Barry J. Hugman (Ed.): The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2008–2009 . Mainstream Publishing, 2008, ISBN 978-1-84596-324-8 , pp. 159 .
  18. ↑ Barry J. Hugman (Ed.): The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2009-2010 . Mainstream Publishing, 2009, ISBN 978-1-84596-474-0 , pp. 153 .
  19. ↑ Robbie Fowler quits Australia to return to England ( English ) BBC Sport. June 1, 2011. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
  20. ^ Robbie Fowler to play for Thai club ( Memento from July 15, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) (Straits Times)
  21. ↑ "FA Cup flashback" (BBC Sport)
  22. ↑ "Fowler's controversial behavior" (LFCHistory.net)
  23. ↑ http://www.footballdatabase.eu/football.joueurs.robbie.fowler.866.fr.html
personal data
SURNAME Fowler, Robbie
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Fowler, Robert Bernard (real name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION English soccer player
DATE OF BIRTH April 9, 1975
PLACE OF BIRTH Liverpool