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 Fowler in 2011 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Robert Bernard Fowler[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1975-04-09)9 April 1975 (age 50)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Toxteth,Liverpool, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[3][2] | ||
| Position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1984–1993 | Liverpool | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1993–2001 | Liverpool | 236 | (120) |
| 2001–2003 | Leeds United | 30 | (14) |
| 2003–2006 | Manchester City | 80 | (21) |
| 2006–2007 | Liverpool | 30 | (8) |
| 2007–2008 | Cardiff City | 13 | (4) |
| 2008 | Blackburn Rovers | 3 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | North Queensland Fury | 26 | (9) |
| 2010–2011 | Perth Glory | 28 | (9) |
| 2011–2012 | Muangthong United | 13 | (8) |
| Total | 459 | (193) | |
| International career | |||
| 1993–1995 | England U21 | 8 | (3) |
| 1994 | England B | 1 | (1) |
| 1996–2002 | England | 26 | (7) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2011–2012 | Muangthong United | ||
| 2019–2020 | Brisbane Roar | ||
| 2020–2021 | East Bengal | ||
| 2023 | Al-Qadsiah | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Robert Bernard Fowler (born 9 April 1975) is an Englishfootball coach and former player. He most recently managedSaudi First Division League sideAl-Qadsiah.
As a player, he was astriker, and is theninth-highest goalscorer in the history of thePremier League. He is best known for his time atLiverpool, initially from 1993 to 2001. He scored 183 goals in total for Liverpool, earning the nickname "God" from theAnfield fans, and he is Liverpool's second-top scorer in thePremier League.[4] He subsequently played forLeeds United andManchester City, before returning to Liverpool in January 2006. He moved toCardiff City eighteen months later. He played there for a year before transferring toBlackburn Rovers on a short-term deal. In December 2008, he departed Blackburn and played in Australia withNorth Queensland Fury andPerth Glory. In 2011, he joinedThai sideMuangthong United as a player, but later was appointed player-manager, which he remained until his retirement in 2012.
Fowler wascapped forEngland 26 times, scoring 7 goals. He was included in England's squads forEuro 1996,Euro 2000 and the2002 FIFA World Cup.
Fowler was born inToxteth,Liverpool, and brought up in the inner city area of Liverpool. At this time he was known as Robert Ryder, his mother's surname.[5] He lived in Toxteth at the time of the 1981Toxteth riots, when he was six years old. As a youngster he supportedEverton and regularly attended home and away games.[6] He played regularly for schoolboy team Thorvald, and once scored 16 times in a 26–0 rout.[7]
Despite growing up as anEverton fan, Fowler's career began with Liverpool. He signed as a youth team player on leaving school in the summer of 1991, signing professional terms on his 17th birthday, 9 April 1992.
Fowler's first involvement with the Liverpool first team came on 13 January 1993, when he was an unused substitute in anFA Cup third round tie againstBolton Wanderers. In the following close season, Fowler helped theEngland under-18 team win the1993 European Championship,[8] before making a scoring first-team debut in Liverpool's 3–1 win in a second roundLeague Cup tie atFulham on 22 September 1993.[9] Fowler scored all five goals in the second leg at Anfield two weeks later, making him the fourth player in Liverpool's history to score five in a senior fixture.[10] He scored his first leaguehat-trick againstSouthampton on 30 October 1993 in only his fifth league game. His very first league goal for the Reds had come on 16 October 1993, when an 87th-minute equaliser at home to strugglingOldham Athletic saved the Reds from what would have been one of the biggest Premier League shocks of the season, with a last gasp own goal giving Liverpool a 2–1 win.[11] He scored twice in a 3–3 draw atTottenham Hotspur on 18 December 1993.[12]
His first 13 games for the club yielded 12 goals, and he was rewarded with anEngland Under-21 debut againstSan Marino in November 1993, in which he scored England's opening goal in the third minute. Fowler was unable to sustain his goal-a-game ratio throughout the season, but finished hisfirst season as the club's second top scorer with 18 goals in all competitions,Ian Rush had scored 19. It was, however, a disappointing season for Liverpool, as they finished eighth in thePremier League without making an impact in any of the major competitions, though the departure ofGraeme Souness as manager and the appointment ofRoy Evans as successor built up hope for a brighter future atAnfield after the disappointment of the first twoFA Premier League seasons.[10]
During the1994–95 season Fowler was a constant member of the Liverpool side, playing in all of their 57 competitive matches, including the victory in the1995 League Cup final, and a match againstArsenal on 28 August 1994 in which he scored what was then the Premier League's fastest hat-trick ever, in four minutes and 33 seconds.[13] His record stood for twenty years until broken bySadio Mané on 16 May 2015 forSouthampton againstAston Villa, who scored three goals in two minutes and 56 seconds.[14] He scored braces against Aston Villa,Ipswich Town,Chelsea andNorwich City in the league that season. Fowler was voted thePFA Young Player of the Year in two consecutive years in 1995 and 1996,[15] a feat also achieved only byRyan Giggs,Wayne Rooney andDele Alli.[16][17]
Throughout the mid and late 1990s, Fowler was widely considered to be the most natural finisher playing in England.[18] Fowler sealed this reputation as he scored more than 30 goals for three consecutive seasons, up to 1997. He remains the only player to have scored 30 plus goals in his first three full seasons in England scoring 98 goals with a total of 116 in just over three years. Fowler's partnership withSteve McManaman was largely described as the reason why Liverpool had become the club known for being the most potent attacking force in England at the time,[19] and Fowler was renowned for scoring goals of all varieties, from every angle and distance, with McManaman describing him as the "greatest goalscorer of all time".[20]
Stan Collymore, Fowler's regular strike partner for two seasons from 1995, said in his autobiography that Fowler was the best player he has ever played alongside. Fowler and Collymore were among the most prolific goal-scoring strike partnerships in England during the1995–96 season, with £8.4million signing Collymore replacing the veteran Ian Rush as Fowler's regular partner in attack after his arrival in June 1995. In the same season, he scored twice in a 4–3 victory overNewcastle United, a match voted the best of the decade in a Premier League poll. The match helped prevent Newcastle from winning the league, but it was not enough for Liverpool to clinch the title; they finished third whileManchester United were crowned champions. Fowler also played in his firstFA Cup Final that season, but was on the losing side as Manchester United won 1–0. He had scored four goals against United in the league that season, scoring twice in a 2–2 draw atOld Trafford on 1 October 1995, and twice in a 2–0 win atAnfield on 16 December.[21]
On 14 December 1996, he scored four againstMiddlesbrough, including his hundredth for Liverpool. This meant he reached a century of goals one game quicker than his first strike partner, Ian Rush, in just 165 games.[22] That year, he also won aUEFAFair Play award for denying that he had been fouled by ArsenalgoalkeeperDavid Seaman atHighbury after a penalty had been given.[23] After unsuccessfully trying to persuade the referee to change his decision about the penalty, Fowler took it tamely and Seaman saved. However, Seaman failed to hold on to the ball andJason McAteer scored from the rebound.[24] Although many people believe that he deliberately took the penalty kick poorly for reasons of fair play, Fowler said at the time: "As a goalscorer it's part of my job to take it and I wanted to score it. I tried to score. I never missed on purpose. It just happened, it was a bad penalty."[25]
Fowler was part of a group of Liverpool players from the mid-1990s who were dubbed "TheSpice Boys" by the press following a series of off-field controversies.[26] The term was subsequently used in a derogatory manner, implying Fowler and colleagues such asJamie Redknapp,Stan Collymore,David James and Steve McManaman were underachieving playboys.[26] The name had been coined due to rumours that Fowler was datingEmma Bunton of theSpice Girls.[26] Fowler said that his successful career to that point had been "dismissed with contempt by those two tiny words".[26]
Liverpool were top of the Premier League by Christmas 1996, with three defeats in the first half of the season. By the end of January, they had been leapfrogged byManchester United, who remained top for the rest of the season, while Liverpool finished 4th.[27]
Fowler showed support for theLiverpool dockers' strike during agoal celebration in a UEFA Cup games againstSK Brann in March 1997 where he unveiled a t-shirt which incorporated theCalvin Klein "CK" into the word doCKer.[28] He was fined £900 byUEFA and criticised by manager Roy Evans for the gesture.[29]
Fowler's performance in the1997–98 football season was marred by an anterior cruciate (knee) ligament injury that kept him out of action for half of the season and caused him to miss the1998 World Cup.[30] During this period of injury, fellow Liverpool striker,Michael Owen rose to prominence, making his debut in 1997. Owen established himself in the Liverpool team in Fowler's absence and played alongside him when Fowler regained his fitness.[31]
In 1999, Fowler was fined £60,000 by his club for bringing the game into disrepute. Whilecelebrating his goal against Liverpool'sMerseyside rivals, Everton, Fowler used the white line of thepenalty area to simulatecocaine use.[15][32] Liverpool managerGérard Houllier stated that this was aCameroonian grass-eating celebration, learnt from teammateRigobert Song.[33] Defending himself, Fowler later said this was a response to Everton fans who had insulted him with false accusations ofdrug abuse.[34] Fowler received a six-match ban fromthe FA in April 1999, with four matches for this celebration. Fowler also received a two-match suspension for making allegedhomophobic gestures towards Chelsea'sGraeme Le Saux.[35]
The2000–01 season was Fowler's most successful season. He scored 17 goals, appeared in three finals, and lifted three trophies in a uniquecup treble.[36] In the absence of Jamie Redknapp, who was sidelined by injury, Fowler was named as Liverpool captain when he started.[10] However he found himself the third-choice Liverpoolstriker, with Houllier favouring a forwardpartnership of Michael Owen andEmile Heskey.[10]
He took part in a fourth-roundLeague Cup hammering ofStoke City, scoring a hat-trick in an 8–0 victory, which was second only to the club's biggest ever win in 1986 – a 10–0 defeat ofFulham.[37] In theLeague Cup final againstBirmingham City, the club's first cup final since 1996, he captained the side and scored in the 30th minute. Liverpool went on to win the trophy on penalties, with Fowler scoring Liverpool's fifth in the shootout. Fowler picked up theAlan HardakerMan of the Match award and lifted the trophy.
Fowler's season picked up from there as he scored several important goals including one against runaway championsManchester United and a free kick in theFA Cup semi-final againstWycombe Wanderers. Fowler featured as a substitute in the2001 FA Cup Final coming on as a 77th-minute replacement forVladimír Šmicer. Liverpool, who were 1–0 down at that point, eventually won the game 2–1 with two goals from Owen. Fowler raised the trophy along withSami Hyypiä and Jamie Redknapp.
Four days later he was a substitute again in Liverpool's third final, the2001 UEFA Cup Final againstDeportivo Alavés. He came on in the 64th minute for Heskey with the score at 3–3. He scored seven minutes later but Alavés equalised before full-time and Liverpool eventually won with agolden goal, an own goal, in the 116th minute.[38] Fowler and Hyypiä then raised Liverpool's third trophy of the season together. Liverpool's next and final game of the season was againstCharlton Athletic and Fowler scored twice in a 4–0 victory atThe Valley that assured themUEFA Champions League qualification for the next season.[39]
Fowler began the2001–02 season controversially, after being dropped by Houllier from the Liverpool squad for the2001 Charity Shield match.[40] He made an appearance in Liverpool's 3–2European Super Cup victory overBayern Munich,[41] but starts were intermittent. In October 2001, he scored his first league hat-trick for three years, helping Liverpool beatLeicester City 4–1, but was dropped for the following league match. Though Fowler had been on a contract extension from 1999 (unlike Steve McManaman – who exercised hisBosman entitlement the very same year), Fowler was linked toLazio,Arsenal andLeeds United, and Liverpool's management as well as fans and the media constantly reported that what happened with McManaman (regarded as a huge financial loss) would never be repeated and thus the club never rejected those bids without consideration.[42] This meant that coupled with Fowler's relationship with Houllier, speculation over Fowler's future persisted for most of Houllier's tenure and became an issue that divided Liverpool fans.[43][44] His last appearance for Liverpool was againstSunderland, in which he was substituted at half-time.[45][46]
Despite his popularity with Liverpool fans, who referred to Fowler as "God",[47]Michael Owen andEmile Heskey had established themselves as Liverpool's regular strike partnership, leaving Fowler on the fringes of the first team. This, along with his difficult relationship with Houllier, made him seek regular first-team football away from Anfield in the form of a £12 million move toLeeds United.[48] Fowler wrote in a 2005 autobiography that Houllier forced him out of Liverpool, and accused Houllier of pressuring theLiverpool Echo newspaper to use its influence to turn opinion against him.[49]
The transfer went ahead just one month after his hat-trick at Leicester. He made his Leeds debut in an away game against Fulham in December 2001,[50] thesame ground where he had made his Liverpool debut eight years earlier. Fowler scored 12 goals in the remainder of the season, helping Leeds to aUEFA Cup qualifying place. Fowler was included in the England squad for the2002 World Cup, but only made one appearance, coming on as a substitute in a second-round win overDenmark.
Fowler suffered an aggravation of a pre-existing hip injury in the2002–03 pre-season, and did not recover until December.[48] Struggling to gain fitness, and seeing teammates sold off due to a financial crisis, Fowler's form and market value diminished. It was despite this decrease in form that he still, in total, scored 15 goals in 31 appearances for Leeds; achieving an impressive strike rate of just less than one goal every two games. In 2002–03, Leeds finished 15th in the Premier League and a severe financial crisis was developing.
In the2002–03 season, Fowler was transferred toManchester City following a protracted transfer saga. Fowler initially turned down the move and a dispute between Manchester City managerKevin Keegan and chairmanDavid Bernstein over whether the transfer should take place due to medical concerns resulted in Bernstein leaving the club.[51] Following encouragement from Keegan, Fowler finally signed for Manchester City on 16 January 2003 for an initial fee of £3 million and a further £3 million dependent upon appearances.[15] Bizarre transfer conditions meant Leeds United still paid a significant proportion of Fowler's wages.[52] Fowler made his Manchester City debut againstWest Bromwich Albion on 1 February 2003,[53] but made a poor start to his Manchester City career, scoring just two goals in the remainder of the season.
Fowler continued to struggle with fitness problems in the2003–04 season, completing the full 90 minutes only nine times, however, he did score against his old club, Liverpool, in a 2–2 draw at home. The arrival of close friend Steve McManaman fromReal Madrid gave Fowler hope, but the pair failed to rekindle their prolific partnership from their time at Liverpool, and received criticism from the fans and tabloids for their salaries and alleged excesses;[54] they were named and shamed in asex scandal covered by theNews of the World[55] that year.
Despite the slump, Fowler rallied for the following campaign, and showed a marked improvement in the second half of the2004–05 season, scoring his 150th Premiership goal in the 3–2 win overNorwich City on 28 February 2005. However, his failure to convert a 90th-minute penalty kick againstMiddlesbrough'sMark Schwarzer in the final game of the season prevented Manchester City from gaining a place in theUEFA Cup.[56] Despite this, Fowler ended the season as the club's joint top goal scorer and gained the approval of the fans, finishing in the top three in the fans' Player of the Year poll.[57] Fowler later described this as "one of the proudest achievements of my career".[58]
Fowler had injury problems at the start of the2005–06 season and rarely featured when fit, making just two substitute appearances in the first four months of the season. His first start of the season came againstScunthorpe United in the FA Cup on 7 January 2006, in which he scored a hat-trick.[59] The following week he scored Manchester City's third goal in their 3–1 win against local rivals Manchester United after coming on as a substitute. However, Fowler made only one more appearance for Manchester City before returning to Liverpool on a free transfer.[60]
On 27 January 2006, Fowler rejoined Liverpool from Manchester City on a free transfer, signing a contract until the end of the season. Fowler had remained a Liverpool fan after he left the club; he was in theIstanbul crowd when Liverpool won the Champions League in2005.
Liverpool fans were delighted to learn that Fowler had returned; there were large banners in the game againstBirmingham City which read "God – number eleven, welcome back to heaven", with "God" being Fowler's nickname while he was previously at Liverpool.
Fowler's return againstBirmingham City in February 2006 was labelled by the tabloid press as the stuff of fairytales,[citation needed] and he said he felt like "a kid waking up on Christmas morning every day".[47] Fowler's first appearance back atAnfield was as a substitute against Birmingham, receiving a standing ovation upon his introduction.[61] After his return, he had three goals ruled out for offside, before finally getting off the mark on 15 March 2006 in a home game against Fulham, the same opponents against which he scored his first-ever goal for Liverpool 13 years earlier.
Fowler's next Liverpool goal, againstWest Bromwich Albion, meant he overtookKenny Dalglish in the club's all-time top scorers. His resurgence continued as he marked his 31st birthday with a goal against Bolton Wanderers. He made it four goals in five games when he scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory overBlackburn Rovers on 16 April 2006. However, Fowler's fitness remained a concern. In March 2006, managerRafael Benítez commented on Fowler's work and progress by saying, "to buy a Robbie Fowler who is fit and scoring goals would cost a lot, maybe £10m or more". Despite concerns about his fitness, Fowler finished the2005–06 season scoring on a more consistent basis than Liverpool's other strikers. In May 2006 he was offered a new one-year contract with the club,[62] and celebrated by scoring the first goal in Liverpool's last league game of the season in a 3–1 away win atPortsmouth. It was his final game of the season as he was unable to take part in the club'sFA Cup Final success due to beingcup-tied.
Fowler featured rarely in his final Liverpool season, making only six league starts. Bizarrely, all three of his League goals were penalties againstSheffield United. One of these was in the away game on the opening day of the season, and the other two in the reverse fixture atAnfield. Appearances in other competitions were more common due to Rafael Benítez'ssquad rotation policy. On 25 October 2006 Fowler was named as Liverpool'scaptain for the first time since his return in aLeague Cup tie againstReading, scoring just before half-time in a 4–3 win.
On 5 December, Fowler scored his first two goals in theUEFA Champions League competition proper againstGalatasaray (he had previously scored during a qualifying tie some six years prior againstFC Haka),[63][64] though Liverpool lost 3–2.
On 1 May 2007, he was a substitute in the Champions League semi-final against Chelsea, brought on in the last few minutes ofextra-time. He set up an attack forDirk Kuyt but the shot went straight at the Chelsea goalkeeper. The match went into a penalty shoot-out that Liverpool won. Fowler was due to take the fifth and final spot-kick, but the game had already ended when Kuyt slotted home his winning penalty.[65]
In what transpired to be his last appearance for the club, againstCharlton Athletic on 13 May, Fowler was given the captain's armband one final time. He was substituted two minutes from the final whistle and given a standing ovation. He finished his second run as a Liverpool player with aUEFA Champions League runners-up medal, although he was not named in either the starting eleven or the seven substitutes. He became a free agent on 1 July having scored 183 goals in 369 appearances during his two spells at the club.[9]
On 21 July 2007 Fowler signed a two-year contract to play forCardiff City.[66] He missed the season's opening fixtures due to a lack of fitness,[67] making his debut in aLeague Cup tie on 28 August.[68] He scored his first two Cardiff goals on 22 September againstPreston North End, scoring with two headers.[69] Fowler scored twice in his next game, a third round League Cup tie againstWest Brom, which Cardiff won 4–2.[70] This led to a fourth round tie against Fowler's former club Liverpool, atAnfield, to which even the Liverpool faithful crowd urged Fowler to score seeing that it may be the last time he would play in Anfield but Cardiff were knocked out in a 2–1 defeat.[71]
In November, Fowler travelled toFrankfurt, Germany to see Dr.Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt, a specialist sports injuries doctor, to try and resolve a recurring hip problem that had left him lacking fitness in early season fixtures for the Bluebirds.[72] The treatment involved taking around twenty-eight injections into his hip. He returned to full training in late November and made his comeback on 15 December as a late substitute in a 1–0 defeat againstBristol City.[73] However he went on to suffer another injury blow just days later after a mistimed tackle in training from club captainDarren Purse left him with damaged ankle ligaments.[74][75] Due to the new injury blow Cardiff and Fowler made plans for him to go toColorado, United States to undergo keyhole surgery on the hip problem, which had plagued him in recent seasons, in the hope that it would finally resolve the problem.[76]
On 17 January 2008, it was announced that Fowler could miss the rest of the2007–08 season for Cardiff after his hip operation revealed that the injury was worse than previously thought. Surgeons were forced to perform a micro-fracture for the hip to heal properly.[77] Despite this, he attempted to make a comeback at the end of the season to play in theFA Cup final againstPortsmouth and was included in the 18-man match squad.[78] He did not feature in the game in and thus did not receive a runners-up medal having not made an appearance in the competition.[79]
Fowler was offered a new pay-as-you-play contract with Cardiff for the 2008–09 season in May 2008 and was expected to sign the contract. However, he pulled out of the deal, preferring to accept an offer of a trial atBlackburn Rovers from former Liverpool colleaguePaul Ince. The move left Cardiff managerDave Jones and chairmanPeter Ridsdale furious after the club had assisted Fowler's rehabilitation throughout the summer. After training with Blackburn and appearing in a handful of friendlies he was offered a six-month deal by the club to last until January, Fowler concluded the trial period at Blackburn by agreeing to a three-month pay-as-you-play deal.[80][81] He stated that he was eager to return to the Premier League and that his pre-existing relationship with Ince would not earn him any preferential treatment.[80] He made his first appearance againstEverton in a 1–0 win in the League Cup on 24 September.[82] With a month left on his contract at Blackburn, Fowler received interest fromLeague Two sideGrimsby Town. Fowler, a friend of then Grimsby managerMike Newell had held talks atBlundell Park over a possible Player/Coach role with the club.[83]
His three-month deal at Blackburn expired on 12 December 2008,[84] and after not being offered a new contract was released by the club,[85] he entered talks with new AustralianA-League clubNorth Queensland Fury.[86]
Fowler signed with theNorth Queensland Fury on 4 February 2009 and became their inauguralmarquee player; with his family relocating toTownsville for the2009–10 season of theAustralian A-League.[87] It was an important signing for the new franchise who struggled to sign a marquee player, while some questioned whether Fowler would be able to cope with the heat and humidity ofNorth Queensland.[88]
Fowler made his debut in July 2009 in a 2–1 pre-season loss against Wolverhampton Wanderers inPerth after recovering from groin and hip complaints.[89] Fowler was subsequently namedNorth Queensland Fury's captain for the 2009–10 season and the first[citation needed] in the club's history. He scored his first A-League goal from a penalty kick in his club's first competitive match againstSydney FC on Saturday 8 August 2009. In rounds four, five, and six Fowler scoredSolo's Hyundai A-League Goal of the Week.
Shortly after his arrival in Australia, it was reported in the British media that Fowler would be making a swift return to his homeland and sign forLeague One sideTranmere Rovers, who had just appointed Fowler's former Liverpool teammateJohn Barnes as manager. However, Fowler was quick to dismiss talk of a quick return to England.[90] When Barnes was dismissed three months later, it was reported that Tranmere had approached Fowler about becoming player-manager, but these reports too were dismissed.[91]
Fowler ended the season collecting a hat-trick of awards at the club's end-of-season awards night, he was awarded the club's Player of the Year, Players' Player of the Year and the Golden Boot as top goal scorer.[92] On 15 June 2010, Fowler confirmed that he was taking legal action over the ending of his playing contract with North Queensland Fury. He was suing the Fury and Football Federation Australia, which took over the running of the club.[93]
On 27 April 2010, it was announced that Fowler had agreed to become part of Glory's squad for the 2010–11 A-League season.[94][95] Fowler reportedly ignored offers from Middle East clubs as well asSydney FC to play in Perth. He joined the Glory for pre-season training in mid-June, following World Cup sponsorship commitments. Fowler scored his first goal for Perth on 29 August, a penalty againstMelbourne Heart. He followed this up with a headed goal the following week against theWellington Phoenix. In the following match, Fowler's hat-trick gave the Glory a 3–1 victory againstMelbourne Victory at theDairy Farmers Stadium in Townsville. Fowler ended the year as top scorer for the club.
On returning to England, Fowler briefly worked withLeague One sideMilton Keynes Dons on an ad hoc basis to assist the club's coaching staff. On 7 April 2011,Bury confirmed that Fowler would join their coaching staff for a week to assistRichie Barker.[96] Fowler then briefly coachedLiverpool's strikers in April 2011.
On 7 July 2011, Fowler agreed to play withMuangthong United, signing a one-year contract. In a press conference he stated that the weather conditions ofNonthaburi should not be a problem as he had played inTownsville andPerth. He was quickly a hit with Muangthong fans and the Thai public in general; he attendedThailand'sWorld Cup Qualifier against Oman wearing the national team's shirt. He has since played a handful of scoreless games, both at theYamaha Stadium and on the road in theAFC Cup, until the Twin Qilins were eliminated from the competition byAl-Kuwait. After the sacking ofHenrique Calisto as head coach, Fowler was madeplayer/coach.[97][98][99][100][101]
After 250 minutes of play, Fowler scored his first goal for MTU againstChiangrai on 16 October 2011. He scored his 250th club career goal on 21 December 2011 againstTTM Phichit. in January 2012, Fowler announced he had left the club, who then appointedSlavisa Jokanovic as coach.[102]
On 1 March 2012,Blackpool managerIan Holloway confirmed that Fowler was training withthe Seasiders and that he could earn a deal until the end of the season.[103] However, they could not agree a deal and Fowler decided against signing whenKarl Oyston offered the striker £100 a week.[104]
Fowler was on a six-man shortlist and interviewed for the vacant manager's job atConference side Macclesfield Town in May 2013,[105] but caretaker managerJohn Askey was eventually appointed on a full-time basis.[106]
Fowler featured inSteven Gerrard's testimonial match againstOlympiacos F.C. on 3 August 2013. He came off the bench in the 73rd minute to a warm reception from Liverpool fans.[107][108] On 21 April 2014, Fowler also featured in a charity match to commemorate the lives of the 96 Liverpool fans who died in theHillsborough Disaster. Fowler scored both goals for his team in a 2–2 draw.[109] and so officially announced his retirement. In May 2016, it was revealed that Fowler would return to the pitch to play for England inSoccer Aid, a charity football match in aid of UNICEF, alongsideJamie Carragher.[110]
Fowler earned his firstcap forEngland on 27 March 1996, coming on as a 76th-minute substitute in the 1–0friendly win againstBulgaria atWembley Stadium.[111] On 24 April, he won his second cap and made his first start for England in the 0–0 draw withCroatia.[112] Despite only having 3 caps to his name, England managerTerry Venables selected Fowler in his22-man squad forEuro 1996.[113] Fowler went on to make two substitute appearances in the tournament, featuring in the 4–1 win againstthe Netherlands in thefinal group game,[114] and in the 0–0 draw againstSpain in thequarter-finals, a game England won onpenalties.[115]
Fowler did not feature during England'squalifying campaign for the1998 FIFA World Cup, mainly due to a serious knee ligament injury late in the1997–98 season,[116][117] and thus missed out onGlenn Hoddle's22-man squad for the tournament.[118] He did, however, manage to score his first goal for his country on 29 March 1997, netting the second goal in a 2–0 friendly win againstMexico at Wembley Stadium.[119] A second goal followed in his next cap on 15 November, netting just beforehalf-time in the 2–0 friendly win againstCameroon.[117][120]
On 9 June 1999, Fowler played in his first competitive game for England in nearly three years,[117] starting in the 1–1 draw withBulgaria duringEuro 2000qualifying.[121]Kevin Keegan named Fowler in the preliminary squad for Euro 2000,[122] and after featuring in the three warm-up games againstBrazil,[123]Ukraine,[124] andMalta,[125] he was named in thefinal squad on 1 June 2000.[126] Fowler did not play in the tournament as England were eliminated in thegroup stages.[117][127]
Fowler scored his fourth goal for England on 25 May 2001, netting the second goal in the 4–0 friendly win againstMexico atPride Park,Derby.[128] On 5 September, he scored his first competitive goal for England in the 2–0 win againstAlbania atSt James' Park,Newcastle.[129] This was duringqualifying for the2002 FIFA World Cup.[129] England qualified for the World Cup, and after scoring in friendlies againstItaly[130] andCameroon,[131] Fowler was selected inSven-Göran Eriksson's23-man squad for the tournament inSouth Korea andJapan.[132] He didn't appear in any of England'sgroup matches,[117] but on 15 June 2002, he came on as a second-half substitute in the 3–0 win againstDenmark in theRound of 16.[133] This turned out to be Fowler's last cap for his country.[117] He won a total of 26 caps for England and scored 7 goals.[117]
On 1 October 2011, Fowler was appointed as the manager ofMuangthong United, where he was already an existing player.[97][98][99][100][101] Muangthong had taken action and sackedHenrique Calisto; a statement made by the club read, "The board have appointed Robbie Fowler as the acting head coach and have terminated the contract of Portuguese boss Henrique Calisto. The contract is until the end of the season and the team must adapt to long-term goals if it is to succeed in Asia", thus making Fowlerplayer-manager.[97][98][99][100][101]
In October 2013, it was announced that Fowler would be taking up a coaching role with Liverpool'sacademy.[134]
On 23 April 2019, it was announced by AustralianA-League clubBrisbane Roar that Fowler had signed a two-year contract to act as the club's new head coach ahead of the2019–20 season.[135][136]Tony Grant andDarren Davies joined his coaching staff, with Davies having acted ascaretaker manager prior to Fowler's arrival.[137] Brisbane announced a major clear-out during the off-season, where fourteen senior players were released, notably marquee playerÉric Bauthéac.[138][139] Fowler then made his first signing as a manager in June, whenRoy O'Donovan signed fromNewcastle United Jets.[140]
Fowler's first competitive match was a 2–0 win over reigning championsSydney FC on 7 August in theFFA Cup.[141] Fowler won the league'sCoach of the Month accolade for January and February 2020.[142][143] With the league suspended in March due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, he resigned on 29 June in order to be closer to his family.[144]
On 9 October 2020,Indian Super League sideEast Bengal announced the signing of Fowler as their new manager.[145] His side finished 9th in2020–21, winning 3 of 20 games, and his two-year contract was ended by mutual consent on 8 September 2021.[146]
In August 2022, Fowler was coaching atOxford United "on a casual basis", according to managerKarl Robinson.[147]
On 29 June 2023, Fowler was appointed as the manager ofSaudi First Division League sideAl-Qadsiah.[148] Fowler left the club on 26 October after Al-Qadsiah terminated his contract, despite the team being unbeaten in the league with six wins and two draws.Míchel was announced as Fowler’s replacement on the same day.[149][150] According to Fowler, the decision was influenced by the club’s desire to follow a more Spanish-style model under their sporting director.[151]
A prolific goal-scorer, Fowler was a quick and opportunistic striker, with good technical ability. Although naturally left-footed, he possessed an accurate, powerful shot from both inside and outside the area with both feet; he was also effective in the air.[152][153] Despite his reputation as a "goal-poacher", he was also a creativeforward, capable of linking up well with other players, and laying off the ball to other strikers.[154][155] Despite his talent, he was also known to be injury-prone throughout his career.[156]
In his playing career, Fowler was sponsored by the sportswear companyNike, and appeared in Nike commercials.[157] In 1997 he starred in Nike's "Park Life" commercial (set to the tune "Parklife" byBlur) where a group of amateur pub league players playing football atHackney Marshes in east London are suddenly joined by top Premier League footballers, including Fowler,Eric Cantona andIan Wright.[157] In 2000, "Park Life" ranked number 15 inChannel 4's poll of the100 Greatest TV Ads.[158]
Fowler married wife Kerrie on 10 June 2001 in the town ofDuns, Scottish Borders in Scotland. Together they have three daughters[159] and one son. Their son, Jacob, signed a scholarship withOxford United in August 2022.[160] Fowler is a cousin of boxer and2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallistAnthony Fowler.[161] Two of Fowler's cousins died of drug abuse.[162]
Fowler was referred to byThe Observer in September 2005 as Britain's richest sportsman, with a £28 million fortune and nearly 100 properties.[162] In 2020, he was an ambassador to a property scheme in Liverpool which led to tens of investors losing several hundreds of pounds.[163]
In association with long-term friendSteve McManaman, Fowler has invested in several racehorses through their company The Macca and Growler Partnership, most notably 2003 Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Celebration Chase runner-up Seebald.[164]
On 2 September 2005, Fowler released a book calledFowler: My Autobiography, about his time as a footballer and the issues surrounding him.[162] He released a second book in November 2019 calledRobbie Fowler: My Life In Football : Goals, Glory & The Lessons I've Learnt.[165]
In June 2008, Fowler participated alongside McManaman inSteve Nash andClaudio Reyna'sShowdown in Chinatown, an 8-on-8 charity football game atSara D. Roosevelt Park in Manhattan with McManaman making five of the goals, including one for Fowler.[166]
In 2019, Fowler featured in the first season ofITV showHarry's Heroes, which featured former football managerHarry Redknapp attempting get a squad of former England international footballers back fit and healthy for a game against Germany legends.[167]
In 2021, Fowler competed in theLegends Tour Celebrity Series of golf tournaments for charity. He won the Celebrity Series event atFormby near his native Liverpool in 2021[168] and competed at the Celebrity Series Grand Final in Mauritius in 2022, finishing second and winning a total of £17,250 for charity over the 2021 season.[169] He has previously held charity golf days to raise money for charities including The Ichthyosis Support Group.[170] Fowler's godson suffers from the rare genetic skin conditionichthyosis, for which there is no cure.[170]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Liverpool | 1993–94 | Premier League | 28 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 18 |
| 1994–95 | Premier League | 42 | 25 | 7 | 2 | 8 | 4 | — | 57 | 31 | ||
| 1995–96 | Premier League | 38 | 28 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 4[a] | 0 | 53 | 36 | |
| 1996–97 | Premier League | 32 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 7[b] | 7 | 44 | 31 | |
| 1997–98 | Premier League | 20 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 3[a] | 1 | 28 | 13 | |
| 1998–99 | Premier League | 25 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6[a] | 2 | 35 | 18 | |
| 1999–2000 | Premier League | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 14 | 3 | ||
| 2000–01 | Premier League | 27 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 11[a] | 1 | 48 | 17 | |
| 2001–02 | Premier League | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7[c] | 1 | 17 | 4 | |
| Total | 236 | 120 | 24 | 12 | 32 | 27 | 38 | 12 | 330 | 171 | ||
| Leeds United | 2001–02 | Premier League | 22 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 23 | 12 | |
| 2002–03 | Premier League | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 10 | 2 | |
| Total | 30 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 14 | ||
| Manchester City | 2002–03 | Premier League | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 13 | 2 | |
| 2003–04 | Premier League | 31 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4[a] | 1 | 41 | 10 | |
| 2004–05 | Premier League | 32 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 33 | 12 | ||
| 2005–06 | Premier League | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 4 | ||
| Total | 80 | 21 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 92 | 28 | ||
| Liverpool | 2005–06 | Premier League | 14 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[d] | 0 | 16 | 5 |
| 2006–07 | Premier League | 16 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 4[d] | 2 | 23 | 7 | |
| Total | 30 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 39 | 12 | ||
| Cardiff City | 2007–08 | Championship | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | — | 16 | 6 | |
| Blackburn Rovers | 2008–09 | Premier League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | |
| North Queensland Fury | 2009–10 | A-League | 26 | 9 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 9 | ||
| Perth Glory | 2010–11 | A-League | 28 | 9 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 28 | 9 | ||
| Muangthong United | 2011 | Thai Premier League | 13 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2[e] | 0 | 20 | 10 |
| Career total | 459 | 193 | 35 | 18 | 45 | 33 | 51 | 15 | 590 | 259 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 1996 | 5 | 0 |
| 1997 | 2 | 2 | |
| 1998 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1999 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2000 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2001 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2002 | 4 | 2 | |
| Total | 26 | 7 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 March 1997 | Wembley Stadium,London, England | 6 |  Mexico | 2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 2 | 15 November 1997 | Wembley Stadium, London, England | 7 |  Cameroon | 2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 3 | 31 May 2000 | Wembley Stadium, London, England | 13 |  Ukraine | 1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 4 | 25 May 2001 | Pride Park Stadium,Derby, England | 17 | Mexico | 2–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 5 | 5 September 2001 | St James' Park,Newcastle upon Tyne, England | 20 |  Albania | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 6 | 27 March 2002 | Elland Road,Leeds, England | 23 |  Italy | 1–0 | 1–2 | Friendly |
| 7 | 26 May 2002 | Noevir Stadium Kobe,Kobe, Japan | 25 | Cameroon | 2–2 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| Team | From | To | Record | Source | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Winning % | |||||
 | Muangthong United | 1 October 2011 | 31 January 2012 | 15 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 066.67 | [175] |
 | Brisbane Roar | 23 April 2019 | 29 June 2020 | 23 | 11 | 5 | 7 | 047.83 | [176] |
 | East Bengal | 9 October 2020 | 8 September 2021 | 20 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 015.00 | |
 | Al-Qadsiah | 29 June 2023 | 26 October 2023 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 075.00 | |
| Total | 66 | 30 | 19 | 17 | 045.45 | — | |||
Liverpool
Cardiff City
England U18
England U21
Individual
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