Fowler: I would never have joined United

ROBBIE FOWLER has wished his former team-mate Michael Owen well at Manchester United but insisted he would never have joined the Red Devils.

Speaking from Australia, where he is hoping to make a long-awaited debut for Queensland Fury today, Fowler was asked if he could ever have joined Manchester United.

“No, I don’t think so,” he declared.

“Obviously I want Michael to do well but I don’t want Manchester United to do well.

“It’s a sticky situation and I don’t want to get drawn into things with Michael and Man United. Everyone knows I’m a Liverpool fan,” he added.

“But if Michael scores a lot of goals then I hope Fernando Torres scores a lot more.”

He added: “Michael has done what he’s done and it’s not for me to judge what he should do or shouldn’t do. He’s a big lad.

“His record over the years has been fantastic. Again, I hope he scores a few goals but I hope they concede more.”

Liverpool’s new £17m full-back Glen Johnson will make his Liverpool debut in Switzerland tonight with boss Rafael Benitez again insisting he is worth the money.

Johnson will play in Liverpool’s first pre-season friendly against St Gallen.

Benitez admits, like Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson, that the transfer market has gone mad this summer.

The Spaniard said: “Yes, the money people are asking is crazy. I hear, for example, that people at Seville are asking for €41m for Daniel Alves. That is a lot.

“The market is crazy, but you must pay good money for good players. The money for Johnson is OK. He is English, an international with quality and he is worth the money. He can be good for us, especially when we are at home and teams are defending against us. Going forward he will give us something different, something special. He is a good addition for us.”