10 revelations from Michael Owen's book as former striker takes aim at Alan Shearer

Michael Owen has released an explosive new autobiography documenting his bitter feud with Alan Shearer and his real thoughts on his time at Newcastle .

The ex-Liverpool and England striker has become embroiled in a Twitter spat with his former teammate and manager Shearer after exclusive extracts were published by Mirror Football.

Shearer hit back at Owen on Twitter on Tuesday, causing a war of words between the pair.

In a frank and honest take on his career, Owen made a number of revelations that make for compelling reading.

Here are 10 of the best from his new book...

1. His feud with Shearer

Owen revealed that he and Shearer were previously "very good friends" but their relationship turned sour after the latters appointment as Newcastle's interim boss.

After declaring he wasn't fit to play in the Toon's final game of the 2009 season - which Newcastle lost and were ultimately resigned to relegation - Owen claims Shearer made him the scapegoat.

"He was brought in at St. James’ Park as the saviour, the local boy. It could have been a great story," Owen said. "But he failed. Newcastle United were relegated. Perhaps rather than examine his own shortcomings, it felt easier to blame Michael Owen."

The pair have since had a fiesty exchange on social media where Shearer jibed at Owen's previous £120k-per-week wages at Newcastle, while Owen questioned his former managers loyalty to his boyhood club. Ouch.

2. The fuss about his helicopter

The infamous chopper that Owen owned was "a stick the fans enjoyed beating me with over the years", he claims.

Owen used the mode of transport to go back and forth to see his family, and allow them to come and see him play, as well as allowing other Newcastle players use of its services.

“With hindsight, it probably didn’t look great to fly around in a helicopter – or land it on Newcastle’s training ground on Christmas Day, as I once did in response to a dare by the lads,” he writes. “I landed it right in the centre-circle of the artificial pitch because a bunch of them said it would be a laugh. I felt like an idiot; stunts like that weren’t my style.”

He adds: “In no way was I trying to be a flash pr*ck by flaunting the considerable salary I was getting in the faces of the hard-working fans. Nor, as some have speculated, was it because I didn’t want to live in Newcastle. That’s how it was taken, but none of that was the intention."

3. Players found Kinnear's appointment comical

Joe Kinnear replaced Kevin Keegan as Newcastle boss in 2008 - which Owen claims went down like a lead balloon in the dressing room.

“Half of us hadn’t heard of him – those Crazy Gang years at Wimbledon were long in the past. Among those who had, there was a collective groan. Some of the lads even laughed. It seemed like a bizarre choice.

"Kinnear wasn’t even a coach. Beyond that, he’d been out of the game at the top level, as far as I knew, since the late ’90s,” he wrote.

4. The moment his Newcastle career was tarnished

Following an incredible welcoming at St James Park, it wasn't long until Owen had been brought back down to earth.

After being concussed in a match with Watford , Owen was taken off on a stretcher, to the tune of 'what a waste of money' coming from the Newcastle fans.

"I can’t deny their actions that day changed things for me," Owen vents. "No longer was I even going to attempt to ingratiate myself with the fans. Instead, I flipped it in a slightly more resentful way thinking, I don’t need to justify myself to f ****** Newcastle fans.

“And I have a long memory. As much as there were some good times to follow at St James’ Park, my relationship with the fans was irreparably impaired that day at Vicarage Road. The love affair, if you could call it that, was almost over.”

5. His extortionate wages

Owen became the highest paid player in Newcastle history when collecting hi £120-per-week wages - a record that still stands.

He admits: “I believe Andriy Shevchenko and maybe Frank Lampard were the only other players on six figure salaries at that time. In addition, they were offering me a box at St. James’ Park and a house with full staff.”

6. Takes a swipe at 'deluded' Newcastle fans

After playing for Liverpool and Real Madrid before pitching up at Newcastle, Owen says he knew it was a step down.

The Toon are still regarded by many as a big club, but Owen feels that is only true of their facilities and fanbase.

“This kind of blind delusion is especially true of Newcastle United – which, as I reach for the nearest tin hat, is only a big club in the sense that it has a lot of fans and a big stadium.

“They’re historically not successful off the pitch, in fact quite the opposite mostly. And they’ve never really won much on it in recent times.”

7. He didn't want to join Newcastle

The former striker makes it painstakingly clear that a switch to the Toon was not something that tickled his taste buds.

With his career at Madrid looking uncertain though, and with Liverpool failing to show serious interest, Owen was running out of options.

"Right at the beginning of the 2005/06 season in Madrid the President, Florentino Pérez, said: ‘Newcastle has made a bid in the region of sixteen million pounds. If you want to go, then you can go. If you want to stay, you can stay.’

“But I want to go to Liverpool,” I told him. ‘That’s not possible unless they match Newcastle’s offer,’ he said.

"At the time, that statement was a dagger in the heart. I was being presented with two options – neither of which I particularly fancied."

8. So much so he nearly pulled out of the deal last minute

After Madrid had accepted the offer, Newcastle moved fast to get Owen's signature.

Things moved so fast that he began to feel uneasy about the move, and even asked his agent to tell Newcastle to turn around the cars sent to pick him up.

"I was getting increasingly cold feet about the whole idea," Owen said.

"When they arrived at my house, I was resigned to the fact it was happening."

9. His heart was still with Liverpool

Owen was courted week after week while at Madrid by then-Newcastle boss Graeme Souness.

But despite knowing his desire was only to play for Liverpool in the Premier League, Owen left the door open for Souness to persuade him on a move, something the forwards heart was just not set on.

"Liverpool couldn’t match Newcastle’s offer. From a career perspective, there was no doubt in my mind that a move to the North East was a downward step," Owen claimed.

"This, I should say, was not a reflection on Newcastle United specifically. I would have found a reason not to sign with any club that wasn’t Liverpool."

Not only that, but Owen thought he would only play for Newcastle for one year, and had a clause in his contract which allowed him to leave for Liverpool at the end of every season.

10. He didn't like Sam Allardyce

The former England manager previously took charge of the Toon for an ill-fated eight-month spell after leaving Bolton.

And Owen blasted Allardyce's time at the helm and claimed Newcastle's style of play under him was nothing more than “cynical, route one football”.