Michael Owen wants it to be known he loves life in Spain. He thinks its great to be part of the mighty Real Madrid squad and he has no plans to return to England.

Linked in recent months with a quick trip back to the premiership, the former Liverpool striker’s main concern is keeping a place in the Spanish side’s starting line-up. But he’s confident he can be a success at the Bernabeu.

“From the position I was in at the start with Raul, Morientes and Ronaldo, a lot of people told me I was crazy to come here” Michael told Shoot in an exclusive interview. “But how many times will you be asked to play for Real Madrid? I might have been all those things people said, but I knew that you can’t keep a good man down for too long. One month I am on the top of the world, then for the next month I am sitting on the bench. I went through a patch of starting eight or nine games on the spin and being a regular and they dropped Raul back into midfield so that was a nice feather in the cap.

“Since Christmas I have been back on the bench a bit, but at least the fans and the management now know what I can do. I have scored a lot of goals and that is a pleasing thing. It’s not job accomplished, but so far I am happy considering where I started”

Michael, who has seen Fernando Morientes leave his new club to join Liverpool added: “I am only 25 and hopefully have a good long career ahead of me. There are plenty of things that are in the future for me. I don’t know “when” or “if” and I wouldn’t say “yes” or “no” to anything. But I’m really enjoying it in Spain. Yes, I do miss certain things about England, but I also feel I’ve improved on a lot of things being here. It is well documented that I don’t like sitting on the bench so lets hope things improve and I don’t have to sit there too much! That obviously wouldn’t do me any good”

“Would I return to Liverpool? I’m very happy at Madrid but I would have nothing against it. I left Liverpool on good terms and they are still the first result I look out for. I have a lot of friends there. I have no bitterness at all towards Liverpool and they are still very close to my heart”

With speculation rife that he could return to the premier league with Arsenal, Chelsea or Liverpool and Newcastle boss Graeme Souness publicly admitting an interest in the England hit-man, Michael is flattered. But he feels he has made his mark I La Liga, and not just because of his great goal tally, despite limited starts. “I think if you ask anyone’s opinion of me in Spain they will all rate me as a player and the fans sing my name. They have taken to me which is a great thing and I think I have gained the respect of the other players which is also important” says Michael.

But his new life in didn’t get off to such a good start when he arrived with girlfriend Louise and daughter Gemma. “It was tough to begin with, we lived in a hotel for 4 months with a one year-old daughter. We were trying to make friends in a foreign country, but the baby needed to be in bed by 8pm and there was no one to look after her. We had to switch off the lights and literally sit in the dark for 3 hours until we went to bed. It was difficult to settle in but the last few months we have been in the house and settled. My football also seemed to pick up when I was happy off the pitch and now I am making more and more friends, and I don’t just mean when I am playing.”

A Family Affair

The closeness of the Owen family is legendary – with Michael famously buying a cul-de-sac so they could all live in adjoining properties. So his move abroad probably came as more of a shock to them than the Anfield faithful when his £8m deal, which also saw Antonio Nunez move the other way, came to fruition.

“If there is one thing you do miss it’s home comforts, being around your family and friends, being in your own house” said Michael who had bought an old country house near Chester. “I had just had my house reshaped and virtually the minute it was finished I was leaving. They are the things you miss but they will always be there. My whole family come out once a month and my mum and dad are here every weekend so we have plenty of visitors”

Michael also has his England skipper David Beckham and defender Jonathan Woodgate for company, which has helped him settle. “It is always nice to go into work and speak your own language, talk about the premiership and whatever game you have seen on the telly the previous night.”

Don’t expect him to go for the simple life though, Michael aims to blend in: “I’m learning Spanish, I have a lesson whenever I can, but it is difficult as we often have 2 games a week. I have the language tape in the car and listen to it on the way into work. I never thought I would have to learn a foreign language when I first started playing, there again I never thought I would play for Real Madrid. Real was something I saw on the television maybe once a year when I was a kid growing up. Now I am living in a different country, which is a lot different to what I am used to. But having worked my way to this level, I’m obviously very pleased to be here.”

His new career hasn’t been helped with the appointment of 3 coaches since he arrived in August last year. Former Spain coach Jose Antonio Camacho was sacked after just 4 months. Then, 3 months later, Mariano Garcia Remon was replaced by ex-Brazil boss Vanderlei Luxemburgo.

“This coach seems very good but from my side it has been very difficult, because I started more under the previous manager (Remon) and the longer he stayed the more I played. I seemed to be a permanent fixture for a while. But then he left, the new man came in and it was back to square one, trying to impress the new manager. Maybe I came here as 4^th choice, but when he left (Camacho) it was back to the tried and trusted 11. It’s been difficult all 3 times but I take great heart in what I have done after each new manager has taken charge” admitted Michael

The Mythical World of Madrid

Cool and super confident…but it was a different Michael Owen who arrived at the Bernabeu to start work for the first time. “I walked into the changing room for my first training session and was really nervous I just didn’t want them to think they had just bought a dud,” laughed Michael. “It is the same for anyone moving to a new club, school or job. You are always a bit wary and hope you make a good impression. I was no different and after the first couple of training sessions I was ok. But walking in there and seeing all these big stars around does put a bit of pressure on. Thankfully that stage is out of the way now. I never knew what to expect and when you come back to England everyone asks “what is it like there?” It really is a mythical club, everyone is interested in what happens.

“The players are some of the best in the world but I found the team sprit is good despite having so many brilliant stars. Everyone mixes in and has a laugh. It’s a good changing room to be in”

However, playing is Spain is a totally new ball game for Michael, not least because he is experiencing many of the stadia for the first time. “It is a strange atmosphere, the grounds especially. In Spain the grounds are very quiet compared to the English games. If you just went to the game you would probably think it is not that fanatical but it is more theatre where people come to be entertained.

“But when you go around the country and your bus pulls up or you are driving out of the stadium after the game in your car it is absolutely fanatical. Twice as big as at home! I live just outside town, but when you go into town you get recognised, the odd photograph, but not too much. I’ve been accepted – the banners and the songs with my name. The first time I hear them singing my name I was filled with a lot of pride. It is always nice to earn the respect of your team-mates, but to earn the respect of the fans as well is not easy in a place like Madrid.”

A New Challenge for Ronaldo

Michael is determined to add his name to the short list of English players who have established themselves overseas. In fact he is convinced the move will help him take his already successful career on to another level. “I am sure it can’t do me any harm!” he said. “I am playing with top players, it is a fantastic, high quality league and I am in one of the top teams in the world.”

It also helps if you have friends in the dressing room and one of Michael’s other favourite  sports, golf, ensures he has an active social life. “ We have a little golf school. Ronaldo and the second keeper, Cesar Sanchez, play along with Guti. We go after training every other week or when we can. My handicap is 8 at the moment – I was 7 last year. I went up a stroke so I can get an extra shot and try to win!” smiled Michael

So what does he miss most about England? Fish and chips, HP sauce, Coronation Street….. “My house” he says without hesitation. “To be fair, the food out in Spain is one of the positives. But it (the country home near Northop) is my dream house. It has my 2 dogs, my horse and all the land that I want. I got it perfect for living in and then I had to uproot.”

Michael does admit that watching his other favourite sport, horse racing, on TV is “second best” But he’s already booked a box for his family at the Epsom Derby and for Ascot. “Those are 2 trips to look forward to when we get back in the summer. Not wishing my life away though!”

Meanwhile, girlfriend Louise Bonsall has joined a local gym and daughter Gemma is in a new nursery. “She spends 3 hours there every day and is making her own friends. She is talking quite a bit now with a few “holas” and “gracias” We have made friends and we go out to restaurants. I am sure I have made the right decision.”