| Owen looking forward to Liverpool return(China Daily)
 Updated: 2005-12-22 07:11
 
 
 NEWCASTLE, England: Newcastle striker Michael Owen has admitted to mixed 
emotions ahead of his return to former club Liverpool on December 26. 
 Owen made his name at Anfield as a teenager and quickly became a hero to both 
Reds' fans and England supporters after his displays at the 1998 World Cup in 
France.
 But he stunned many within the English game by walking out of Liverpool and 
moving to Real Madrid in June 2004.
 And there were plenty of Liverpool fans angered that their club, bolstered by 
victory in the Champions League final over AC Milan, refused to meet Spanish 
giants' Real's 17 million pounds asking price in August of this year.
 Instead, Owen moved to the north-east and the 26-year-old has recently moved 
into something near his best form with seven goals in eight games, including a 
hat-trick against West Ham last Saturday.
 However, he said his return to Anfield had been something he'd been thinking 
about since arriving back in England.
 "Obviously when I knew I was coming back to the Premiership, you always think 
it will be strange to go back to your old club, and no doubt it will be when it 
comes," he said Wednesday.
 "I have a picture in my mind of what it will be like, but it will be very 
exciting seeing a lot of old friends. But we will cross that bridge when it 
comes," the 26-year-old added.
 "I haven't really thought long and hard about it yet. It's a strange one. I 
never thought I'd ever leave Liverpool - I'd been there since I was 11 years old 
- so it will be strange, but as I say, we will cross that bridge when we come to 
it.
 "I've signed a four-year contract, as everyone knows. I wouldn't have signed 
a contract here if I didn't think it was a good place to be. I'm very pleased 
with my decision, I'm very pleased with how everything is going at Newcastle.
 "If we can keep improving and keep winning games, I'm 
sure once this place can get on a roll, it will be a very exciting place to 
play." 
 
 
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