Editing Robbie Fowler (section)

=== Return to Liverpool ===
[[File:Robbie Fowler.jpg|thumb|200px|Fowler playing for [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] in 2007]]
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 the [[Istanbul]] crowd when Liverpool won the Champions League in [[2005 UEFA Champions League Final|2005]].

Liverpool fans were delighted to learn that Fowler had returned; there were large banners in the game against [[Birmingham City F.C.|Birmingham 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 against [[Birmingham City F.C.|Birmingham City]] in February 2006 was labelled by the tabloid press as the stuff of fairytales,{{citation needed|date=January 2019}} and he said he felt like "a kid waking up on Christmas morning every day".<ref name="god"/> Fowler's first appearance back at [[Anfield]] was as a substitute against Birmingham, receiving a standing ovation upon his introduction.<ref>{{cite news | title= Alonso spoils return of Kop's prodigal son | work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2331557/Alonso-spoils-return-of-Kops-prodigal-son.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2331557/Alonso-spoils-return-of-Kops-prodigal-son.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live| access-date=4 December 2013 | location=London | first=Henry | last=Winter | date=2 February 2006}}{{cbignore}}</ref> 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, against [[West Bromwich Albion F.C.|West Bromwich Albion]], meant he overtook [[Kenny 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 over [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]] on 16 April 2006. However, Fowler's fitness remained a concern. In March 2006, manager [[Rafael 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 the [[2005–06 in English football|2005–06 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,<ref>{{cite news | title= Fowler to sign new Liverpool deal| publisher=BBC Sport | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/4977356.stm| access-date=13 September 2008 | date=5 May 2006}}</ref> and celebrated by scoring the first goal in Liverpool's last league game of the season in a 3–1 away win at [[Portsmouth F.C.|Portsmouth]]. It was his final game of the season as he was unable to take part in the club's [[2006 FA Cup Final|FA Cup Final]] success due to being [[cup-tied]].

Fowler featured rarely in his final Liverpool season, making only six league starts. Bizarrely, all three of his League goals were penalties against [[Sheffield United F.C.|Sheffield United]]. One of these was in the away game on the opening day of the season, and the other two in the reverse fixture at [[Anfield]]. Appearances in other competitions were more common due to Rafael Benítez's [[squad rotation system|squad rotation policy]]. On 25 October 2006 Fowler was named as Liverpool's [[Captain (association football)|captain]] for the first time since his return in a [[Football League Cup|League Cup]] tie against [[Reading F.C.|Reading]], scoring just before half-time in a 4–3 win.

On 5 December, Fowler scored his first two goals in the [[UEFA Champions League]] competition proper against [[Galatasaray S.K. (football team)|Galatasaray]] (he had previously scored during a qualifying tie some six years prior against [[FC Haka]]),<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/6210854.stm |title=Clockwatch: Champions League |access-date=13 September 2008 |last=Cheese |first=Caroline |publisher=BBC Sport | date=5 December 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Apologetic Fowler returns to the fold |first=John |last=Nisbet |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/apologetic-fowler-returns-to-the-fold-666439.html |newspaper=The Independent | date=21 August 2001 |access-date=14 January 2011 }}{{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> 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 of [[extra-time]]. He set up an attack for [[Dirk 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.<ref>{{cite news|title=Rafa hails spot-kick hero Zenden |first=Paul |last=Eaton |url=http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/latest-news/rafa-hails-spot-kick-hero-zenden |work=[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] |date=2 May 2007 |access-date=4 December 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102193708/http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/latest-news/rafa-hails-spot-kick-hero-zenden |archive-date=2 January 2014 }}</ref>

In what transpired to be his last appearance for the club, against [[Charlton Athletic F.C.|Charlton 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 a [[UEFA 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.<ref name="profile"/>