Editing Robbie Fowler (section)

=== Liverpool ===
Despite growing up as an [[Everton F.C.|Everton]] fan, Fowler's career began with Liverpool. He signed as a youth team player on leaving school in the summer of 1991, signing professional terms on his 17th birthday, 9 April 1992.

Fowler's first involvement with the Liverpool first team came on 13 January 1993, when he was an unused substitute in an [[1992–93 FA Cup|FA Cup]] third round tie against [[Bolton Wanderers F.C.|Bolton Wanderers]]. In the following close season, Fowler helped the [[England national under-18 football team|England under-18]] team win the [[1993 UEFA European Under-18 Championship|1993 European Championship]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Boys of '93 |url=https://www.thefa.com/england/mens-u19s/News/2009/boys_of_93 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120731094011/https://www.thefa.com/england/mens-u19s/News/2009/boys_of_93 |archive-date=31 July 2012  |work=[[The Football Association]] |date=7 July 2008 |access-date=3 December 2013}}</ref> before making a scoring first-team debut in Liverpool's 3–1 win in a second round [[1993–94 Football League Cup|League Cup]] tie at [[Fulham F.C.|Fulham]] on 22 September 1993.<ref name="profile">{{cite web |url=http://www.liverpoolfc.com/history/past-players/robbie-fowler |title=Robbie Fowler |publisher=[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] |access-date=4 December 2013 }}</ref> Fowler scored all five goals in the second leg at Anfield two weeks later, making him the fourth player in Liverpool's history to score five in a senior fixture.<ref name="LFCHistory">{{cite web|url=http://www.lfchistory.net/Articles/Article/357 |title=Robbie Fowler – goalscoring phenomenon |work=LFCHistory |access-date=15 January 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120930194517/http://www.lfchistory.net/Articles/Article/357 |archive-date=30 September 2012}}</ref> He scored his first league [[hat-trick]] against [[Southampton F.C.|Southampton]] on 30 October 1993 in only his fifth league game. His very first league goal for the Reds had come on 16 October 1993, when an 87th-minute equaliser at home to struggling [[Oldham Athletic A.F.C.|Oldham Athletic]] saved the Reds from what would have been one of the biggest Premier League shocks of the season, with a last gasp own goal giving Liverpool a 2–1 win.<ref>{{cite news |title=Football Round-Up: Hapless Barlow is in the red |first=Geoff |last=Brown |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-roundup-hapless-barlow-is-in-the-red-1511217.html |newspaper=The Independent |date=17 October 1993 |access-date=15 January 2011 }}</ref> He scored twice in a 3–3 draw at [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]] on 18 December 1993.<ref>{{cite news |title=Football: Spurs strike back with interest: Fowler flourishes to put Tottenham in the red but Hazard inspires a fightback that brings relief from the troubles |first=Norman |last=Fox |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-spurs-strike-back-with-interest-fowler-flourishes-to-put-tottenham-in-the-red-but-hazard-inspires-a-fightback-that-brings-relief-from-the-troubles-1468364.html |newspaper=The Independent |date=19 December 1993 |access-date=15 January 2011 }}</ref>

His first 13 games for the club yielded 12 goals, and he was rewarded with an [[England national under-21 football team|England Under-21]] debut against [[San Marino national football team|San Marino]] in November 1993, in which he scored England's opening goal in the third minute. Fowler was unable to sustain his goal-a-game ratio throughout the season, but finished his [[1993–94 Liverpool F.C. season|first season]] as the club's second top scorer with 18 goals in all competitions, [[Ian Rush]] had scored 19. It was, however, a disappointing season for Liverpool, as they finished eighth in the [[Premier League]] without making an impact in any of the major competitions, though the departure of [[Graeme Souness]] as manager and the appointment of [[Roy Evans]] as successor built up hope for a brighter future at [[Anfield]] after the disappointment of the first two [[FA Premier League]] seasons.<ref name="LFCHistory"/>

==== Success and fame ====
During the [[1994–95 in English football|1994–95 season]] Fowler was a constant member of the Liverpool side, playing in all of their 57 competitive matches, including the victory in the [[1995 Football League Cup final|1995 League Cup final]], and a match against [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] on 28 August 1994 in which he scored what was then the Premier League's fastest hat-trick ever, in four minutes and 33 seconds.<ref>Fowler, p. 128.</ref> His record stood for twenty years until broken by [[Sadio Mané]] on 16 May 2015 for [[Southampton F.C.|Southampton]] against [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]], who scored three goals in two minutes and 56 seconds.<ref>{{cite news |title=Southampton's Sadio Mané hits record hat-trick to rout Aston Villa |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/may/16/southampton-aston-villa-premier-league-match-report |access-date=16 May 2015 |work=The Observer |agency=Press Association |date=16 May 2015}}</ref> He scored braces against Aston Villa, [[Ipswich Town F.C.|Ipswich Town]], [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]] and [[Norwich City F.C.|Norwich City]] in the league that season. Fowler was voted the [[PFA Young Player of the Year]] in two consecutive years in 1995 and 1996,<ref name="MEN factfile">{{cite web |url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/robbie-fowler-factfile-1059704 |title=Robbie Fowler Factfile |work=[[Manchester Evening News]] |date=30 June 2005 |access-date=4 December 2013}}</ref> a feat also achieved only by [[Ryan Giggs]], [[Wayne Rooney]] and [[Dele Alli]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/giggs-this-can-be-the-best-united-ever-448588.html |title=Giggs: 'This can be the best United ever'|work=[[The Independent]] |access-date=13 September 2008 |location=London |first=Steve |last=Tongue |date=13 May 2007}}{{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.redcafe.net/threads/giggs-this-can-be-the-best-united-ever.155590 |title=Reproduction of ''Independent'' article on Red Cafe |publisher=Red Cafe |date=13 May 2007 |access-date=4 December 2013}}</ref>

Throughout the mid and late 1990s, Fowler was widely considered to be the most natural finisher playing in England.<ref>{{cite news |title=Gripping battle of the red predators |first=Henry |last=Winter |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/liverpool/3017140/Gripping-battle-of-the-red-predators.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/liverpool/3017140/Gripping-battle-of-the-red-predators.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=19 November 2001 |access-date=15 January 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Fowler sealed this reputation as he scored more than 30 goals for three consecutive seasons, up to 1997. He remains the only player to have scored 30 plus goals in his first three full seasons in England scoring 98 goals with a total of 116 in just over three years. Fowler's partnership with [[Steve McManaman]] was largely described as the reason why Liverpool had become the club known for being the most potent attacking force in England at the time,<ref>{{cite news |title=Robbie Fowler: Natural born finisher |first=Mark |last=Lomas |url=http://espnfc.com/columns/story?id=707080&cc=5739 |newspaper=ESPNSoccernet |date=9 August 2009 |access-date=4 December 2013}}</ref> and Fowler was renowned for scoring goals of all varieties, from every angle and distance, with McManaman describing him as the "greatest goalscorer of all time".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sport.co.uk/football/mcmanaman-evans-in-charge-fowler-and-ronaldo-up-top/50513 |title=McManaman: Evans In Charge, Fowler And Ronaldo Up Top |publisher=Sport |date=16 February 2011 |access-date=4 December 2013}}</ref>

[[Stan Collymore]], Fowler's regular strike partner for two seasons from 1995, said in his autobiography that Fowler was the best player he has ever played alongside. Fowler and Collymore were among the most prolific goal-scoring strike partnerships in England during the [[1995–96 in English football|1995–96]] season, with £8.4million signing Collymore replacing the veteran Ian Rush as Fowler's regular partner in attack after his arrival in June 1995. In the same season, he scored twice in a 4–3 victory over [[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]], a match voted the best of the decade in a Premier League poll. The match helped prevent Newcastle from winning the league, but it was not enough for Liverpool to clinch the title; they finished third while [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] were crowned champions. Fowler also played in his first [[FA Cup Final]] that season, but was on the losing side as Manchester United won 1–0. He had scored four goals against United in the league that season, scoring twice in a 2–2 draw at [[Old Trafford]] on 1 October 1995, and twice in a 2–0 win at [[Anfield]] on 16 December.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://espnfc.com/columns/story?id=264175&root=england&cc=5739 |title=Ten years and counting |publisher=ESPN |access-date=4 December 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019211405/http://espnfc.com/columns/story?id=264175&root=england&cc=5739 |archive-date=19 October 2013}}</ref>

On 14 December 1996, he scored four against [[Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough]], including his hundredth for Liverpool. This meant he reached a century of goals one game quicker than his first strike partner, Ian Rush, in just 165 games.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ridley |first1=Ian |title=Close-up; Robbie Fowler; The natural in a rush to win |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/closeup-robbie-fowler-the-natural-in-a-rush-to-win-1315684.html |access-date=3 September 2024 |work=The Independent |date=22 December 1996}}</ref> That year, he also won a [[UEFA]] [[UEFA Fair Play ranking|Fair Play]] award for denying that he had been fouled by Arsenal [[Goalkeeper (association football)|goalkeeper]] [[David Seaman]] at [[Arsenal Stadium|Highbury]] after a penalty had been given.<ref>{{cite news |title=Di Canio in line for fair play awards |first=Christopher |last=Davies |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/2994930/Di-Canio-in-line-for-fair-play-awards.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/2994930/Di-Canio-in-line-for-fair-play-awards.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=18 December 2000 |access-date=15 January 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref> After unsuccessfully trying to persuade the referee to change his decision about the penalty, Fowler took it tamely and Seaman saved. However, Seaman failed to hold on to the ball and [[Jason McAteer]] scored from the rebound.<ref>{{cite news |title=Football: Liverpool survive Arsenal revival |first=Glenn |last=Moore |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-liverpool-survive-arsenal-revival-1275000.html |newspaper=The Independent |date=25 March 1997 |access-date=15 January 2011}}</ref> Although many people believe that he deliberately took the penalty kick poorly for reasons of fair play, Fowler said at the time: "As a goalscorer it's part of my job to take it and I wanted to score it. I tried to score. I never missed on purpose. It just happened, it was a bad penalty."<ref>{{cite news |title=Has anyone missed a penalty on purpose? |first1=James |last1=Dart |first2=Benjie |last2=Goodhart |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2007/sep/05/theknowledge.sport |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=5 September 2007 |access-date=4 December 2013}}</ref>

==== Spice Boys ====
Fowler was part of a group of Liverpool players from the mid-1990s who were dubbed "The [[Spice Boys (footballers)|Spice Boys]]" by the press following a series of off-field controversies.<ref name=spice/> The term was subsequently used in a derogatory manner, implying Fowler and colleagues such as [[Jamie Redknapp]], [[Stan Collymore]], [[David James (footballer, born 1970)|David James]] and Steve McManaman were underachieving playboys.<ref name=spice/> The name had been coined due to rumours that Fowler was dating [[Emma Bunton]] of the [[Spice Girls]].<ref name=spice>{{cite news |last1=Hughes |first1=Simon |title=Liverpool's Spice Boys |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/1681697/2020/03/24/spice-boys-liverpool-redknapp-scales-fowler-mcmanaman/ |access-date=3 September 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=24 March 2020}}</ref> Fowler said that his successful career to that point had been "dismissed with contempt by those two tiny words".<ref name=spice/>

Liverpool were top of the Premier League by Christmas 1996, with three defeats in the first half of the season. By the end of January, they had been leapfrogged by [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]], who remained top for the rest of the season, while Liverpool finished 4th.<ref>{{cite news |title=1996/97 Season Review |url=https://www.premierleague.com/news/693498 |access-date=3 September 2024 |publisher=Premier League |date=24 May 2018}}</ref>

Fowler showed support for the [[Liverpool dockers' strike (1995–98)|Liverpool dockers' strike]] during a [[goal celebration]] in a UEFA Cup games against [[SK Brann]] in March 1997 where he unveiled a t-shirt which incorporated the [[Calvin Klein]] "CK" into the word doCKer.<ref>{{cite news |title=Football: Fowler fined for show of support |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-fowler-fined-for-show-of-support-1275535.html |access-date=10 October 2018 |work=The Independent}}</ref> He was fined £900 by [[UEFA]] and criticised by manager Roy Evans for the gesture.<ref>{{cite news |title=Playing politics |url=https://www.wsc.co.uk/the-archive/playing-politics/ |access-date=3 September 2024 |work=[[When Saturday Comes]] |date=May 1997}}</ref>

Fowler's performance in the [[1997–98 in English football|1997–98 football season]] was marred by an anterior cruciate (knee) ligament injury that kept him out of action for half of the season and caused him to miss the [[FIFA World Cup 1998|1998 World Cup]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2310838/Fowler-searches-in-vain-for-fitting-end.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2310838/Fowler-searches-in-vain-for-fitting-end.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Fowler searches in vain for fitting end |work=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=23 August 2007 |location=London |first=Tim |last=Rich |date=12 April 2007}}{{cbignore}}</ref> During this period of injury, fellow Liverpool striker, [[Michael Owen]] rose to prominence, making his debut in 1997. Owen established himself in the Liverpool team in Fowler's absence and played alongside him when Fowler regained his fitness.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Steinberg |first1=Jacob |title=The Joy of Six: the best of Michael Owen |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/oct/06/the-joy-of-six-the-best-of-michael-owen |access-date=3 September 2024 |work=The Guardian |date=6 October 2017}}</ref>

In 1999, Fowler was fined £60,000 by his club for bringing the game into disrepute. While [[Goal celebration|celebrating his goal]] against Liverpool's [[Merseyside]] rivals, Everton, Fowler used the white line of the [[Penalty area (football)|penalty area]] to simulate [[cocaine]] use.<ref name="MEN factfile"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Prankster Faces Suspension |work=The New York Times |date=7 April 1999 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/04/07/sports/plus-soccer-england-prankster-faces-suspension.html }}</ref> Liverpool manager [[Gérard Houllier]] stated that this was a [[Cameroon]]ian grass-eating celebration, learnt from teammate [[Rigobert Song]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Allsop |first=Derik |title=Football: Houllier defence is the real joke |work=[[The Independent]] |date=5 April 1999 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-houllier-defence-is-the-real-joke-1085242.html |location=London}}</ref> Defending himself, Fowler later said this was a response to Everton fans who had insulted him with false accusations of [[Recreational drug use|drug abuse]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Robbie Fowler explains why he'll never regret THAT celebration against Everton |url=https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/robbie-fowler-explains-why-hell-never-regret-that-celebration-against-everton |access-date=3 September 2024 |work=FourFourTwo |date=29 April 2020}}</ref> Fowler received a six-match ban from [[The Football Association|the FA]] in April 1999, with four matches for this celebration. Fowler also received a two-match suspension for making alleged [[homophobic]] gestures towards Chelsea's [[Graeme Le Saux]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Fowler given six-match ban |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/football/315511.stm |access-date=3 September 2024 |publisher=BBC Sport |date=9 April 1999}}</ref>

==== Winning the cup treble ====
The [[2000–01 in English football|2000–01 season]] was Fowler's most successful season. He scored 17 goals, appeared in three finals, and lifted three trophies in a unique [[Treble (association football)|cup treble]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/1485742.stm|title=Liverpool primed for title assault|access-date=13 September 2008 |publisher=[[BBC Sport]] |date=13 August 2001}}</ref> In the absence of Jamie Redknapp, who was sidelined by injury, Fowler was named as Liverpool captain when he started.<ref name="LFCHistory"/> However he found himself the third-choice Liverpool [[Striker (association football)|striker]], with Houllier favouring a forward [[partnership]] of Michael Owen and [[Emile Heskey]].<ref name="LFCHistory"/>

He took part in a fourth-round [[Football League Cup|League Cup]] hammering of [[Stoke City F.C.|Stoke City]], scoring a hat-trick in an 8–0 victory, which was second only to the club's biggest ever win in 1986 – a 10–0 defeat of [[Fulham F.C.|Fulham]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Shaw |first=Phil |date=30 November 2000 |title=Football: Fowler hat-trick leads Liverpool record rout |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/fowler-hattrick-leads-liverpool-rout-624651.html |url-status=dead |access-date=15 January 2011 |archive-date=6 May 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130506011710/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/fowler-hattrick-leads-liverpool-rout-624651.html }}</ref> In the [[Football League Cup Final 2001|League Cup final]] against [[Birmingham City F.C.|Birmingham City]], the club's first cup final since 1996, he captained the side and scored in the 30th minute. Liverpool went on to win the trophy on penalties, with Fowler scoring Liverpool's fifth in the shootout. Fowler picked up the [[Alan Hardaker]] [[Man of the Match]] award and lifted the trophy.

Fowler's season picked up from there as he scored several important goals including one against runaway champions [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] and a free kick in the [[FA Cup]] semi-final against [[Wycombe Wanderers F.C.|Wycombe Wanderers]]. Fowler featured as a substitute in the [[FA Cup Final 2001|2001 FA Cup Final]] coming on as a 77th-minute replacement for [[Vladimír Šmicer]]. Liverpool, who were 1–0 down at that point, eventually won the game 2–1 with two goals from Owen. Fowler raised the trophy along with [[Sami Hyypiä]] and Jamie Redknapp.

Four days later he was a substitute again in Liverpool's third final, the [[2001 UEFA Cup Final]] against [[Deportivo Alavés]]. He came on in the 64th minute for Heskey with the score at 3–3. He scored seven minutes later but Alavés equalised before full-time and Liverpool eventually won with a [[golden goal]], an own goal, in the 116th minute.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/european/3005505/UEFA-Cup-Final-Liverpool-hit-treble-top.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/european/3005505/UEFA-Cup-Final-Liverpool-hit-treble-top.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=UEFA Cup Final: Liverpool hit treble top |first=Henry |last=Winter |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=16 May 2001 |access-date=4 December 2013}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Fowler and Hyypiä then raised Liverpool's third trophy of the season together. Liverpool's next and final game of the season was against [[Charlton Athletic F.C.|Charlton Athletic]] and Fowler scored twice in a 4–0 victory at [[The Valley (London)|The Valley]] that assured them [[UEFA Champions League]] qualification for the next season.<ref>{{cite news |title=Liverpool party begins at Charlton |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/1338359.stm |access-date=16 May 2015 |publisher=BBC Sport |date=19 May 2001}}</ref>

==== Liverpool departure ====
Fowler began the [[2001–02 in English football|2001–02 season]] controversially, after being dropped by Houllier from the Liverpool squad for the [[2001 Charity Shield]] match.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/1487707.stm |title=Fowler sweats on Anfield future|access-date=13 September 2008 |date=13 July 2001 |publisher=BBC Sport}}</ref> He made an appearance in Liverpool's 3–2 [[European Super Cup]] victory over [[FC Bayern Munich|Bayern Munich]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Super Liverpool record cup win |url=http://en.archive.uefa.com/competitions/supercup/history/season=2001/round=1560/match=68022/index.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120712164116/http://en.archive.uefa.com/competitions/supercup/history/season=2001/round=1560/match=68022/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 July 2012 |publisher=UEFA |date=24 August 2001 |access-date=15 January 2011}}</ref> but starts were intermittent. In October 2001, he scored his first league hat-trick for three years, helping Liverpool beat [[Leicester City F.C.|Leicester City]] 4–1, but was dropped for the following league match. Though Fowler had been on a contract extension from 1999 (unlike Steve McManaman – who exercised his [[Bosman ruling|Bosman entitlement]] the very same year), Fowler was linked to [[S.S. Lazio|Lazio]], [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] and [[Leeds United F.C.|Leeds United]], and Liverpool's management as well as fans and the media constantly reported that what happened with McManaman (regarded as a huge financial loss) would never be repeated and thus the club never rejected those bids without consideration.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/FOWLER'S+FUTURE+PLAGUED+BY+THE+SHADOW+OF+MACCA%3B+AS+the+speculation+on...-a080361221 |title=FOWLER'S FUTURE PLAGUED BY THE SHADOW OF MACCA|first= Chris|last= Bascombe|publisher=Thefreelibrary.com |access-date=29 December 2010}}</ref> This meant that coupled with Fowler's relationship with Houllier, speculation over Fowler's future persisted for most of Houllier's tenure and became an issue that divided Liverpool fans.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/sports_talk/1488513.stm |title=Is Fowler's Anfield future bleak? |access-date=13 September 2008 |date=12 August 2001 |publisher=BBC Sport }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/1490333.stm |title=Fowler divides Liverpool fans |access-date=13 September 2008 |date=14 August 2001 |publisher=BBC Sport }}</ref> His last appearance for Liverpool was against [[Sunderland A.F.C.|Sunderland]], in which he was substituted at half-time.<ref>Fowler, p. 317.</ref><ref>{{cite news
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/1671475.stm
|title=Heskey sinks Sunderland
|publisher=BBC
|date=25 November 2001 |access-date=21 March 2010}}</ref>