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Man Utd players ‘wanted to kill each other’ in training - Michael Owen
Former Manchester United striker Michael Owen has lifted the lid on training under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Man Utd: Michael Owen reveals ‘mentality’ of Ferguson’s side
Michael Owen has revealed that the Manchester United squad’s winning mentality was so great that they “wanted to kill each other” in training. The former England striker lifted the lid on his time at Old Trafford in a chat with Jamie Carragher on the Liverpool legend’s The Greatest Game podcast.
Owen was on the hunt for a new club when his Newcastle contract expired at the end of the 2008/09 Premier League campaign following the Magpies’ relegation.
Discussing his options, Owen told Carragher: “I don’t know what else I can do.
“At the time I am thinking ‘I can go top of the league, Manchester United, mid table Everton, or bottom Hull’. I would live away from home if I was at Hull. I don’t know what I could have done.
“You [Jamie Carragher] would do exactly the same and you know it.”
The former Liverpool striker made the shock decision to join the Reds’ bitter rivals United on a two-year, pay-as-you-play deal - which was later extended for a third campaign.
Upon arriving at his new club, managed at the time by Sir Alex Ferguson, Owen was left stunned by the players’ approach to training.
He said: “It is a mentality thing with the players. Every single time you set foot on that training ground you can just feel that winning mentality, they can’t lose.
“The training - I went to Newcastle from Real Madrid and all of a sudden just thought ‘wow this is easy’, you get lackadaisical. I came to Manchester United and was like ‘wow I have to be on it every single day’.
“They wanted to kill each other. They were literally big mates and there was blood, everything big tackles and you think ‘wow steady on’ but they are just like animals wanting to win at all costs, all the time.
“Having gone to different clubs and seeing the mind-set of survival or just being mid-table and that is fine we can take our foot off, or champions – we can’t let anyone in to be as good as us – it is chalk and cheese.”
Owen endured a difficult spell at Old Trafford, scoring 17 goals in 52 appearances.
He won three trophies - the Premier League, League Cup and Community Shield - with the club.