JANUARY 30
Fowler ready to turn back clock

By Paul Walker - PA Sport

Robbie Fowler believes he can turn back the clock and create another golden era for himself at Liverpool.

And defying the critics who doubt he can still handle the top flight by insisting: "I always have confidence in what I can do."

But the 30-year-old, who has seen his four years away from Anfield and Leeds and Manchester City dogged by continual injuries, admits he is looking for words of wisdom from Rafael Benitez to boost his dream move back to his hometown club.

Fowler, who has signed an initial six-month deal after a free transfer from Manchester City, says he wants an injection of the faith the Spanish boss gave to the Liverpool team in Istanbul.

Fowler was in the stadium that night as a fan watching the astonishing recovery against AC Milan.

As comebacks go that was just as improbable as Fowler's return to his spiritual home in the twilight of his career.

Fowler said: "In Istanbul I was like any Liverpool supporter, I just wanted to be on the pitch. But to be honest I felt it was game over at half-time.

"I don't know what Mr Benitez said to them but I hope he can use them (words of inspiration) for me now and he will get the right response."

The beaming smile that does not seem to have left Fowler's face since the deal was done on Friday is testimony to how much he wants this return to work out.

He said: "If you pray enough for things, I am proof that they can happen. I feel like a kid on Christmas day now, every day.

"Now I want to repay the manager's faith in bringing me back, it's great to be here.

"You can all tell by the look on my face how much I wanted to come back. It's something I've wanted for a long time and now I'm here.

"It would be wrong to say I was not motivated anywhere else but if a club of Liverpool's stature comes in for you then you have to react.

"Because of the past I have had here it means a lot more than anyone else.

"At the moment I feel fit but the rest is up to the manager and what he decides. I have missed a large part of the season because of a back injury but I feel good. Everything is OK now."

Fowler also revealed that Manchester City chief Stuart Pearce pulled a prank on the former England striker before the deal went through.

Fowler said: "The City people looked in my eyes and they knew what I wanted. This is as much to do with their help as anyone else.

JANUARY 30
Fowler was Rafa's pub plan

Football 365

Rafael Benitez has revealed the idea to re-sign Robbie Fowler was hatched in his mind after he celebrated last season's Champions League semi-final triumph over Chelsea with the Kop legend in a Liverpool pub.

The Anfield chief ended up sharing a drink with Fowler and his best pal Steve McManaman in a local pub, surrounded by joyous Liverpool fans celebrating their club's progress to their sixth European Cup final.

Benitez, who has confirmed interest in Deportivo La Coruna winger Victor has all but ended, is delighted he has finally captured the player who impressed him so much in the chance pub meeting after the victory over Chelsea.

   Robbie Fowler's back - where he belongs.
  (Photo: LFC Official Website)   

He said: "I first thought of the idea after the Chelsea game, he was in a pub - only with a soft drink - with us and we were talking about football.

"Steve McManaman was also there and you could hear all the fans saying 'you should sign Robbie on again' and things like that.

"I am always thinking about my strikers, I always have confidence in them, but the idea was always in my mind.

"Then in the last week I analysed Robbie and tried to know what he could give to us. I had a meeting with him and explained my ideas for him at the club.

"Then I decided to sign him, he was talking to me with his heart. I could see the passion, he was top scorer here and he clearly has great intelligence about the game.

"He has all these things as well as passion. You can now see the reaction of the supporters.''

JANUARY 30
Striker known as 'God' is back in his spiritual home

Alan Weston reflects on a footballing career that has finally turned full circle

Daily Post

Anfield idol Robbie Fowler's return to Liverpool had many things in common with his playing style, being both sensational and totally unexpected.

And no doubt the joy he expressed at returning to his spiritual home was shared by his many adoring fans, who could never accept him as anything other than a Liverpool player.

The sheer scale of the reverence which the Toxteth-born striker inspires in The Kop is illustrated by his nickname - to them,, he is simply 'God.'

His record speaks for itself. He scored 171 goals in 330 appearances between making his debut in September 1993 and his £11million departure to Leeds United in November 2001.

And though he showed flashes of his old self in the intervening period since his departure from Anfield, there was an overwhelming feeling - both at Leeds and his subsequent club, Manchester City - that he was never as comfortable as he was when he wore the red shirt of Liverpool FC.

Now the 30-year-old has until the end of the season to convince manager Rafael Benitez that he has a part to play in the manager's long-term plans.

If his former record at the club is anything to go by, he should have no trouble. But that is the question mark that hovers over this homecoming - can he reproduce at least some of the spark that made him one of England's deadliest finishers?

He is certain to have an army of devoted fans willing him on. It is bound to be an emotional and highly-charged occasion on Wednesday night, when Fowler's career comes full circle and he steps onto the turf at Anfield as a Liverpool player once more.

Fowler made no secret of his regret at leaving the club under Gerard Houllier's regime, and his burning desire to return - even if it could not be as a player, then as a coach.

In his autobiography, he wrote: "I was crushed when I left Liverpool and I was always desperate to go back.

"I regretted leaving there and when I saw them lift the European Cup without me on that night in Istanbul it was an awful moment.

"Liverpool is the club that means the most to me, and I have always had the dream of going back there at some time, in some capacity.

"It is obvious I love the club, and obvious that I didn't want to leave.

"I felt pushed out when I left originally, and I've had so many regrets but in the end they are pointless." Quite apart from his phenomenal playing skills, it was Fowler's characteristically Scouse mischievousness and disregard for authority that endeared him to fans.

His most notable headline-grabbing acts were when he raised his red shirt to reveal a T-shirt proclaiming support for the sacked Liverpool dockers during the 1996-97 season, for which he received a £900 fine from UEFA.

Another was when he was handed a six-match ban for insulting Graeme Le Saux and for his infamous 'drug-sniffing' celebration against Everton in 1998.

Fowler will almost certainly be a maturer and more responsible individual when he makes his return to Anfield.

Supporters will be hoping his dazzling goalscoring skills have not deserted him. He has now been handed the perfect stage on which to prove that they have not.

JANUARY 29
Fowler motivation impresses Parry

BBC Sport Online

Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry is hoping Robbie Fowler's return to Anfield after five years away will revive the striker's stalled career.

Fowler, 30, joined Liverpool until the end of the season on Friday, having left the club for Leeds in 2001 before moving to Manchester City in 2003.

"We hope this is the spark for his career, Parry told BBC Radio Five Live.

"On Robbie's part there is no lack of motivation. We hope it works out and he hopes for sure it works out."

Fowler has struggled to find his best form since his departure from Liverpool in 2001 and he had an unhappy time at City where he had to be talked out of retiring from the game.

Parry added: "Again, as a measure of his desire, the idea of coming short term was no factor at all. No problem.

"I've never known a transfer happen quite so quickly, it was all done within 24 hours.

"I had to persuade Robbie to look at the contract. I think I could have put a contract in front of him with no money on it and he'd have signed it!

"He really was that desperate to come back.

"The point to stress is that first and foremost this was a football decision and it was manager Rafa Benitez's judgment he would strengthen the team."

Fowler has 26 caps for England, but has not played at international level since his appearance as a second-half substitute in the 3-0 win over Denmark at the 2002 World Cup.

JANUARY 28
Thompson sounds Fowler warning

TEAMtalk

Former Anfield coach Phil Thompson has warned Robbie Fowler's army of fans they are unlikely to see their hero back to the lethal best last seen when he wore a Liverpool shirt.

But Thompson, assistant to Gerard Houllier when Fowler was shown the Anfield door in an £11million move to Leeds in 2001, believes the 30 year-old has the hunger and desire to prove it was worth Rafael Benitez taking the risk of bringing the striker back to Merseyside.

Fowler's shock signing on Friday - on an initial six month deal on a free transfer from Manchester City - has sent the Kop faithful wild with delight that the scoring ace they call 'God' is back at his spiritual home.

But Thompson struck a warning note by saying: "I don't think we will see the Robbie Fowler of old.

"It's asking a lot for him to get back to what he was at the pinnacle of his career, and there are reasons for that, basically the injuries.

"Robbie has suffered terrible injuries in the past and even this season he has struggled with a hip injury which he has had for quite a while. He had it at Leeds and it reappeared at Manchester City.

"But Rafa Benitez is not too happy with the ones who have been playing up front and if he thinks Robbie can score the goals then it's worth a try.

"Robbie looks to have got himself back fit and he scored a hat-trick against Scunthorpe and then that great one against Manchester United and Rafa probably thought it was worth a punt to bring him back."

Toxteth-born Fowler is idolised by Liverpool fans as he is one of their own who was virtually forced out of the club when Houllier lost patience with his alleged off-field behaviour.

But nobody has ever doubted he is arguably the best finisher of his generation.

"It shows that, after Rafa had been talking for a while about new centre-backs and wingers, it has been up front that Liverpool have been struggling," said Thompson.

"We can't keep depending on the clean sheets to get us through, we need to get the ball into the back of the net more often.

"We will see at the end of the season whether it is a masterstroke or not. But it's a great move for Robbie, I don't think things had been going well for him at Manchester City, I don't think he was well thought of.

"But if Liverpool can get the best out of him in his later years I think everybody will benefit."

He added: "What I have seen is players this season at Liverpool who do not look as if they are going to score goals, certainly a fair amount of goals.

JANUARY 28
Rush hails return of prodigal son

TEAMtalk

Anfield legend Ian Rush claims the signing of Robbie Fowler could be worth an additional 10 points per season for Liverpool.

Thirty-year-old Fowler returned to the club last night on a free transfer from Manchester City, initially on a short-term deal until the end of the season.

But Rush is confident Fowler will make a success of his second spell at Liverpool, and is predicting Rafael Benitez will use him as an impact player off the bench.

"Of course, they say you should never go back. And, to be quite honest, the situation is not quite the same as when I returned after a year at Juventus," said Rush.

"I like to think I was still in my prime whereas Robbie is 30 and not exactly a 90-minute player these days.

"But Rafa Benitez is not stupid. He knows Liverpool desperately need a finisher - never more so than last Sunday when they outplayed Manchester United at Old Trafford and still lost."

Rush added: "Bring Robbie on for 20 or 30 minutes and he can make all the difference. The opposition know that as well."

The signing of Fowler means Liverpool now have an extra option in attack. Fowler has made a successful career out of being a penalty area predator.

Whereas Peter Crouch, Fernando Morientes and Djibril Cisse arguably are more involved outside the box, Fowler's game is based on being in the right place at the right time.

Michael Owen is similar, and was also linked with Liverpool before moving to Newcastle in August.

Rush warns that his former strike partner Fowler will not be able to make the same impact as Owen might, had he rejoined Liverpool.

"Michael would have played week in, week out," said Rush.

"At the same time, Robbie can give Liverpool an extra 10 points a season - the difference between finishing above or below United. Maybe even catching Chelsea."

JANUARY 27
Fowler: I'm in Dreamland

By Alex Livie - Sky Sports

Robbie Fowler admits his dreams have come true after securing a surprise return to Liverpool.

The former England international left Anfield for Leeds in November 2001, but his career went full circle on Friday as he completed a shock move to Liverpool from Manchester City.

Fowler is looking to hit the ground running, but admits he is still in a state of shock.

"It hasn't sunk in yet," he told Liverpool's website after signing his contract. "Just to travel back to Anfield was great and to actually get into the office and obviously put pen-to-paper was something that I have wanted to happen for a long time.

"Honest to God, I'm so happy it's frightening! I'm just so chuffed - that's all I can say.

"Obviously since I have left, deep down I have always wanted to come back and it has been a long time but I'm glad to say I'm back now.

"It has always been a club close to my heart."

Fowler has paid tribute to City boss Stuart Pearce for allowing him to return to Anfield.

"When I was aware of a little bit of interest from Liverpool, I wanted it to happen more than anyone and Stuart Pearce was very good," added Fowler.

"He could understand where I was coming from and he did help me getting back to Liverpool."

JANUARY 27
Rafa delight at Fowler deal

TEAMtalk

Robbie Fowler has sensationally returned to his spiritual home at Anfield on a six-month contract - a move that will stun and delight the Kop in equal measure.

The 30-year-old, nicknamed God by his adoring Anfield fans, is back with Liverpool after a three-year stint at Manchester City, who signed him for £6million from Leeds.

Fowler left Liverpool in 2001 in an £11million deal, with many believing the former England striker was forced out of the club by Gerard Houllier after some well publicised off-field incidents.

But he has never lost the adulation of the Liverpool fans and only this month news he had scored a stunning goal against Manchester United earned him a standing ovation from the Anfield fans.

Now the Toxteth-born striker is back in his own domain, intent on proving a couple of seasons wrecked by hip problems are behind him.

If the move pays off then manager Rafael Benitez will have negotiated one of the greatest transfers coups the club has ever seen.

The Spaniard spoke of his - and Fowler's - delight at the signing, saying: "My idea is for Liverpool to take one step forward and I think Robbie can help us make that step.

"We have signed a player with so much passion for this football club and I think he will act as an example to every player here in how much he loves Liverpool.

"It is a boost for the team, a boost for the supporters and a boost for Robbie himself. I'm not sure I've ever seen a player quite so happy to be joining a club before."

Benitez, criticised for not signing an out-and-out goalscorer, also believes Fowler could provide the missing ingredient for his squad.

"Robbie is a great finisher who can help us reach a new level. He hasn't been signed because he loves the club; he's been signed because he's one of the best goalscorers ever to play in the Premiership and he can score goals for us right now," he told the club's website.

"He's got a wealth of experience and he gives us more attacking options. He's a different kind of striker to what we have at the club and that is good for the team.

"People can talk about having a lot of money to buy players but we've just signed a player with a passion and a heart for this club that no amount of money can buy.

"We are close to a very high level right now but with Robbie we can go even higher."

Thor Zakariassen ©