Michael Owen has now claimed that Steven Gerrard might not technically count as a Liverpool academy player given that the campus had not been built yet.
The former Anfield captain is one of the greatest success stories in the club’s history, with Gerrard coming from the youth ranks, alongside Owen, to become a legend at Liverpool.
However, speaking on Up Front, the former England striker has now said that Gerrard might not count as an academy player given that Liverpool were still building the facilities during his breakout year.
Owen said about Liverpool masking Gerrard’s true club-raised status: “Me and Steven Gerrard were in the same year.
“We were both going to make it, but I was probably ready a year earlier and ready to go into the first team. And I think Liverpool, at the time, were building the academy and wanted somebody to come out of it.
“So I was sort of fast-tracked that way and Gerrard had to go the other way. He literally did a week at the academy and then came down to Melwood with the rest of us. For political reasons, we can say he was an academy product, but really, he wasn’t.”
Michael Owen should still consider Steven Gerrard a Liverpool academy product
Whilst the technical language of whether or not Gerrard actually came from Liverpool’s academy when it wasn’t even built yet is up for debate, Owen can’t brush away the fact the midfielder came through the club.
The former midfielder is one of Liverpool’s greatest-ever homegrown players and is an inspiration for many local talents who one day dream of becoming the next Gerrard in their careers.
Indeed, whilst Owen can argue that Gerrard didn’t technically come through the academy, few fans or commentators will be complaining about such a fact given that the former England star was still raised by the club.
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