ROBBIE FOWLER

POSITION : ATTACKER CENTRE

APPEARANCES : 160

GOALS : 92

BORN : Liverpool 9.4.75.

HONOURS : League Cup 94/5; 5 England caps

INFO :

Like his immediate predecessor and later mentor, Ian Rush, Fowler grew up as an Everton supporter. However, it was Kenny Dalglish's Liverpool who obtained his signature. Fowler showed promis e from early age and Dalglish always ensured he had the youngster on his side in the traditional Melwood 5-aside training games.

Fowler did not make his debut until Souness was manager. After coming to wider prominence in an U-19 tournament with England i n the summer of 1993 it was widely expected that the 18 year old would make his debut the following season. His chance came as Liverpool suffered a goal drought in September and Fowler scored on his debut in a League Cup game at Fulham. He played the next two League games without scoring, but he shot himself into the record books in the return leg of the League Cup tie. Liverpool beat Fulham 5-0, with Fowler scoring all the goals, equalling the record for goals scored in a match by a Liverpool player.

Fowler's first League goal came in the next game against Oldham and at the end of October he hit his first Liverpool hat-trick at home to Southampton. Fowler had made himself a first-team regular almost immediately and he finished the season with 18 goals, eq ual with Ian Rush, despite missing a couple of months with a stress-fracture of the leg.

The following season, Roy Evans' first full season as manager, Fowler formed an effective partnership with the experienced Ian Rush, learning from the wily campaigner' s experience and improving his all-round game. In Liverpool's first home game of the season Fowler demolished Arsenal with a hat-trick in just over 4 minutes, and although the youngster seemed to flag around mid-season he finished the season as top-scorer with 31 goals in all competitions. He also won his first medal with Liverpool as they won the Coca Cola Cup final in April. \par Fowler rather surprisingly started the 1995/96 season on the bench as new signing Stan Collymore was given the chance to form a par tnership with Ian Rush. However, an injury to Collymore soon gave Fowler his place back, and he later acknowledged that the ploy had given him a further impetus to improve his game, as Roy Evans no doubt intended. Bolton were one of the teams that suffere r ed as Fowler scored four against them at Anfield, while Arsenal were on the end of another hat-trick before Christmas and Fowler scored four against Manchester United in the two League games. Unfortunately neither Fowler nor anyone else could score against the latter team in the disappointing FA Cup final in May. By the end of the season Fowler had forged a good understanding with Collymore and the combination netted 55 goals in the season, Fowler scoring 36, second only to the prolific Alan Shearer.

There was an inevitable clamour for Fowler to represent England. At the end of the season he was given a chance and he was included in the England Euro 96 sqaud. However, Fowler only came on as sub for four of his five England appearances, and he has yet to sc ore for his country.

Fowler started the 1996/97 season with a nagging back injury and a breakdown in his understanding with Collymore, so he looked a little less sharp than usual. However, he continued his run of consecutive appearances - with substitute a ppearances he has appeared in all but the first five games of Roy Evans' reign as manager.

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