‘I Tried to Sign Ballon d’Or Winner at Hull City

When you think of Ballon d’Or winners, you are likely to think of players who played for the best clubs in European football. Barcelona have seen the famous award come back to the Camp Nou 12 times, albeit the majority of those going to Lionel Messi. The same can be said about Real Madrid’s 11, which are largely propped up by Cristiano Ronaldo.

There are some more surprising names on the list too. Dynamo Moscow had Lev Yashin. Dukla Prague had Josef Masopust. Even Blackpool had the first ever winner in Stanley Matthews. These, of course, were the teams these icons turned out for when they were recipients though. Some have fallen even further down the ladder as their careers have declined.

Either way, even if they are no longer in their prime, having a winner of the coveted prize is still a luxury and could even be a catalyst for inspiration. That is at least what Phil Brown thought when he was Hull City manager, as he tried to bring in a surprise Ballon d’Or winning name to the East Riding of Yorkshire as his side looked to battle for Premier League safety.

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How Hull City Tried to Sign Michael Owen

Phil Brown revealed how his side tried to lure the 2001 Ballon d’Or winner

When Hull City got promoted to the Premier League in 2008, the smart money was that the Tigers would be a classic case of a side coming up from the Championship and not being strong enough to compete as they head straight back down. That was not how things played out though.

By some miracle, Phil Brown managed to steer his side to safety, finishing one point off the drop in 17th while English football giants Newcastle United suffered the embarrassment of relegation. It was a massive achievement from Brown and co, but they knew that pulling off the same feat would not be easy and that strengthening the squad was a must.

As luck would have it, one of the big names from the Newcastle squad that went down quickly announced his impending departure. That being the 2001 Ballon d’Or winner, Michael Owen.

In August 2005, Newcastle United shattered their transfer record by bringing in Owen from Real Madrid for £16.8 million. Despite his previous acclaim with Liverpool and England, his career had begun to stall due to frequent injuries and a return to England was done in the hope that he could reignite the fire he once had.

His time at Newcastle was inconsistent, peaking during the 2007/08 season when he netted 13 times in 33 matches. However, his final year was chaotic, featuring four different managers and a relegation battle. Once the drop had been confirmed, Owen announced his decision to leave St James’ Park, and Hull City’s boss showed no hesitation in making his interest public, as per Football League World:

It was alleged that a contract worth £60,000-per-week was put on the table for Owen to become the face of the club as they tried to survive once again. However, he would make another move that would earn him far more success at the cost of his own legacy.

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Who Owen Joined Instead of Hull City

The veteran would go on to win the Premier League title

Instead of Hull, Owen would go on to join Manchester United despite the fact he was revered by most Liverpool fans. The contrast between Old Trafford and the MKM Stadium was stark that season. The experienced striker scored crucial goals for Manchester United, including a dramatic last-minute winner in the 4-3 win over City in 2009, a Champions League hat-trick and even a goal in that season’s EFL Cup triumph over Aston Villa.

Meanwhile, Hull struggled, managing just 34 goals in 38 matches. With financial turmoil and a squad fire-sale, manager Phil Brown was placed on gardening leave in March 2010 and the club’s stint in the top flight came to an end.

A year later, Owen would score just two Premier League goals en route to claiming his only winners’ medal in the English top flight, which were followed by the infamous words ‘if you can’t beat them, join them.’ An ill-fated spell at Stoke City followed before the English forward called time on his career.

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All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt – accurate as of 21/04/2025.