Owen becomes club's youngest goalscorer

1997
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06 May 1997

 

Rarely has the emergence of a young player caused such fervour among the Kop's rank and file as when Michael Owen burst onto the scene.

 

Having excelled in our first ever FA Youth Cup win in 1995-96, fans were itching to see the boy wonder in senior colours.

 

They had to wait almost a year as Roy Evans stuck with established forwards Stan Collymore and Robbie Fowler.

 

But, with the latter suspended and Liverpool's title charge on the wane, he finally chanced his arm in the penultimate game of the season at Selhurst Park.

 

With 58 minutes on the clock and his side 2-0 down, Evans withdrew Patrik Berger.

 

Sixteen minutes later Owen, in front of 20,016 lucky punters, had bagged the first of his 158 Liverpool goals. Aged just 17 years and 143 days, the strike made him the club's youngest ever goalscorer (beating Jimmy Melia's 1955 goal against Nottingham Forest when he was 18 years and 46 days old).

 

Despite the teenager's best efforts, the Reds were unable to complete a remarkable comeback – and it proved to be the final nail in their Championship coffin.

 

Owen went on to top score in his first full season before setting the 1998 World Cup alight with a wonder-strike against Argentina.

 

For six years and 297 games he was Liverpool's talisman before heading to Spain with Real Madrid.

 

The highlight of Owen's Anfield career came in 2001 when he was crowned European Footballer of the Year after firing the Reds to a unique treble.

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Timeline

1996 Owen and Carra help win Youth Cup
1997 Owen becomes club's youngest goalscorer
1998 Houllier arrives as joint manager
2001 Reds beat Birmingham in Cardiff
2001 Owen wins Cup against Arsenal
2001 Dortmund delight as Reds win thriller
2001 Reds beat United to win Charity Shield
2001 Super Cup is back at Anfield for second time
2003 Gerrard and Owen beat United in Cardiff
2004 Rafa arrives at Anfield
2005 The miracle of Istanbul
2005 Reds beat Moscow to win Super Cup
2006 Youth Cup glory for Reds
2006 Heroic Reds win best ever Cup final
2006 Reds beat Chelsea to win Community Shield
2007 Hicks and Gillett arrive at Anfield
2007 Youngsters retain Youth Cup
2007 Athens agony as Reds lose to Milan
2007 Transfer record smashed as Torres signs in
2010 Benitez leaves Liverpool
2010 Liverpool appoint Hodgson
2010 Liverpool FC sold to NESV
2011 Hodgson leaves - Dalglish returns
2011 Dalglish signs permanent deal