Friday, August 13, 2004
SI.com - Soccer - Owen makes low-key arrival to Madrid - Friday August 13, 2004 4:57PMMADRID (Reuters) -- England striker Michael Owen passed an exhaustive medical on Friday prior to completing his move from Liverpool to Real Madrid.
Real said that club doctors had given the all-clear to sign the 24-year-old player after a two and 3/4-hour medical at the Zarzuela clinic in the north of Madrid.
The former European Footballer of the Year will be officially unveiled as a Real Madrid player on Saturday in a presentation ceremony at the club's Santiago Bernabeu stadium at 1pm local time (1100 GMT).
He is expected to sign a four-year contract with Real, with an option to extend the deal for an extra year.
Real are paying €12 million ($14.71 million) for the player in a deal which also sends Real midfielder Antonio Nunez to the Premier League club.
Earlier on Friday, Owen arrived in the Spanish capital in a private jet at the military airbase of Torrejon on the outskirts of the city before being whisked away in an unmarked grey limousine to undergo the medical.
Dressed in a light blue T-shirt and jeans, Owen cut a relaxed figure as he smiled and gave a brief wave to around 30 photographers and a handful of curious by-standers waiting for him as he entered the clinic.
Owen's reception was far more low key than the one given to fellow England international David Beckham, who joined Real last year.
The player is expected to return to England immediately after his presentation on Saturday in order to link up with the national squad before next week's friendly against Ukraine.
Real said that club doctors had given the all-clear to sign the 24-year-old player after a two and 3/4-hour medical at the Zarzuela clinic in the north of Madrid.
The former European Footballer of the Year will be officially unveiled as a Real Madrid player on Saturday in a presentation ceremony at the club's Santiago Bernabeu stadium at 1pm local time (1100 GMT).
He is expected to sign a four-year contract with Real, with an option to extend the deal for an extra year.
Real are paying €12 million ($14.71 million) for the player in a deal which also sends Real midfielder Antonio Nunez to the Premier League club.
Earlier on Friday, Owen arrived in the Spanish capital in a private jet at the military airbase of Torrejon on the outskirts of the city before being whisked away in an unmarked grey limousine to undergo the medical.
Dressed in a light blue T-shirt and jeans, Owen cut a relaxed figure as he smiled and gave a brief wave to around 30 photographers and a handful of curious by-standers waiting for him as he entered the clinic.
Owen's reception was far more low key than the one given to fellow England international David Beckham, who joined Real last year.
The player is expected to return to England immediately after his presentation on Saturday in order to link up with the national squad before next week's friendly against Ukraine.
