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Fowler flip-flop Leeds striker agrees to Manchester City switchPosted: Wednesday January 29, 2003 7:12 PMUpdated: Wednesday January 29, 2003 7:19 PM MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) -- Leeds United striker Robbie Fowler has agreed a six million pound (US$9.88 million) move to Manchester City and will complete the deal on Thursday, the two Premier League clubs announced on Wednesday. Fowler, 27, has agreed a 3-1/2 year contract after speaking to City manager Kevin Keegan on Wednesday, telling him he was now ready to sign, the clubs said on their Web sites. The England forward had been widely expected to move to City earlier this month in a seven million-pound deal -- only for the player to pull out at the last minute after passing a medical. Keegan had previously blamed City's handling of the earlier deal, designed to pair him with French striker Nicolas Anelka, saying it had dragged on too long. But speaking after City's 4-1 victory over Fulham on Wednesday, he described how he had convinced Fowler to agree to the move at the second attempt in a meeting with the striker. "I just said to him 'don't be under any illusions, we desperately want you at our club, we think you're the right kind of player with Nicolas Anelka. "'We're creative, you'll get chances, you'll get goals, you'll play here.' I won't put him on the bench and then put him on for five or 10 minutes. "I've told him he'll play and if after 60 minutes his lights go out because of his lack of match fitness then I'll put someone else on." Fee payments City chairman David Bernstein told Manchester's GMR radio on Wednesday: "It's all done, bar the shouting. We are delighted to say that we have been very successful in restructuring the payments. "The deal we have now done is a lower figure overall, with a smaller fixed fee and more based on appearances. "The base fee is three million pounds with a further three million pounds based on a large number of appearances." City expect Fowler to complete the formalities early on Thursday, then join his new team mates on the training ground at the club's Carrington center to get ready for his debut in the Premier League match on Saturday against West Bromwich Albion. The City manager is anxious to line up Fowler, who joined Leeds from Liverpool for 11 million pounds in November 2001, with Anelka in their attack. A month after Fowler left Liverpool, his place in the Anfield squad was taken by Anelka during a loan spell from Paris St Germain. Fowler's progress at Leeds was badly hampered by injury and he had hip surgery in the close season. Fowler returned to action in December but has mainly been confined to the substitutes' bench. He has scored 14 goals in 24 Premier League starts for Leeds. Fowler netted 171 goals in 9-1/2 years at Liverpool having come through their youth ranks. He has 26 England caps. Man City offers perfect platform for Fowler relaunchLONDON (Reuters) -- Manchester City can boast two of the deadliest finishers in world football following the protracted transfer of England striker Robbie Fowler from Leeds United. With France striker Nicolas Anelka already at Maine Road, Fowler's arrival, after two weeks of vacillation on his part, is proof of City manager Kevin Keegan's powers of persuasion. Keegan's ebullience has already carried City to midtable respectability in the Premier League this season. It is entirely typical of the attack-minded former England manager that, when most critics would say City need a top class defender, he has gone out and bought a striker. The way that Keegan has harnessed the talent of the notoriously moody Anelka, scorer of 10 goals so far, has defied expectations. With Fowler in their side Keegan's ambitious target of a place in the top six in City's first season after promotion, is suddenly looking less of a fantasy. In terms of natural goal-scoring ability, Keegan can now claim to have a strike force that is the equal of any in the Premier League. Liverpool fans, their team struggling for goals, could certainly be forgiven for wondering why their manager Gerard Houllier decided to part with both Anelka and Fowler in the past 14 months. As for Fowler himself, the City move is something of a gamble in his bid to resurrect a faltering career. The 27-year-old is desperate for first-team football after a wretched time at Leeds due to injury and indifferent form. With all due respect to Shaun Goater, City's Bermudan striker is a much easier prospect to oust from the starting XI than either Owen or Heskey at Liverpool or Australian duo Mark Viduka and Harry Kewell were at Leeds. But some might question whether two so admirably selfish goal getters as Fowler and Anelka can play together in the same team. Manchester derby As a former Liverpool player, the prospect of facing their and City's fiercest rivals Manchester United on February 9 at Old Trafford will have Fowler licking his lips. There is also the added attraction of City moving from Maine Road to the impressive former Commonwealth Games stadium next season. Keegan's forward-thinking City side will no doubt create plenty of chances for their new arrival, who badly needs to remind national team coach Sven-Goran Eriksson why he is still rated by many as the country's most natural goal scorer. Eriksson will name his squad on February 8 for the friendly against Australia. With players like Everton youngster Wayne Rooney and Southampton's James Beattie pushing for call-ups, Fowler needs goals fast if he is to hang on to his place. In his early days, Fowler's clinical ability in front of goal was compared to that of famous former Tottenham Hotspur striker Jimmy Greaves. But Greaves' 57-cap England career is probably best remembered for his being consigned to the substitutes' bench in England's 1966 World Cup triumph. Fowler still has only 27 caps. Unless he recovers his goal touch quickly with City, he could also be left wondering what might have been on the international stage. Robbie Fowler factboxLEEDS, England (Reuters) -- Factbox on England striker Robbie Fowler, who is set to join Manchester City from Leeds United on Thursday after agreeing a six million pound ($9.88 million), 3-1/2 year deal on Wednesday: - - - - Born Liverpool, April 9, 1975 1992 - Joined Liverpool as a trainee 1993 - Made Liverpool debut 1995 - Young Player of the Year 1996 - Young Player of the Year - - - - Club honors and notable moments: 1995 - League Cup. 1996 - Finished season as part of Premier League's top striking partnership with Stan Collymore which accounted for 42 of Liverpool's 70 league goals. Fowler claimed 28. 1999 - Banned for six games and fined a record 32,000 pounds ($51,330) for misconduct for two controversial incidents -- provoking Chelsea's fellow England international Graeme Le Saux in February with homosexual taunts and celebrating a goal against Everton in April by pretending to snort cocaine from along the goal-line. - Suffered a broken nose after being assaulted at a Liverpool hotel. 2001 - League Cup, FA Cup, UEFA Cup - In October scored his first league hat-trick for three years, helping Liverpool beat Leicester City 4-1. - Also in October, accused of late-night drinking with former Liverpool team mate Steve McManaman before England's World Cup qualifier with Greece. - Punished with long spell on the bench after refusing to apologize for a training ground bust-up with assistant coach Phil Thompson that almost caused him to leave club. - Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier said in September that Fowler was not fit enough or sharp enough to deserve an automatic starting place. - Scored for England against Albania in September. - In November makes 11-million pound ($18.12 million) move to Leeds United. - Arrested, but not charged, by police in relation to an alleged offence of criminal damage. Scores first two goals for Leeds in 3-2 win over Everton in December. 2002 - Picks up niggling hip injury towards end of 2001/02 season. - Selected in England's World Cup squad but plays just 45 minutes as second half substitute against Denmark. - Flies home early from Leeds' tour of the Far East and Australia in July after injury flares up again. Undergoes surgery to shave a piece of cartilage from his hip in August and does not return to action until early December. 2003 - Jan 16 - Agrees a transfer to Manchester City, passes medical but unexpectedly turns down the move. - Jan 29 - Leeds and City announce the move is now set to go through, with the player's agreement.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. |
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