By Graeme Yorke

PUBLISHED: 07:29 EST, 17 November 2012 | UPDATED: 07:29 EST, 17 November 2012

Sir Alex Ferguson believes that Liverpool halted the potential of Michael Owen as a footballer.

The Manchester United manager claims that Liverpool hampered the striker's development because they played him too often as a teenager.

Owen broke through for the Reds when he was just 17 and earned a place at the 1998 World Cup for England, but Ferguson says that his relentless playing schedule at such a young age has had a negative effect on the player in the long term.

Hampered: Sir Alex Ferguson believes Michael Owen suffered for playing too many games at Liverpool

Hampered: Sir Alex Ferguson believes Michael Owen suffered for playing too many games at Liverpool

Ferguson said: 'You can play too much football, particularly young players growing and developing physically.

'That's exactly what happened with Michael. He would've been a far better player if he'd been allowed to improve technically and develop rather than playing all the time.'

After an astonishing display at the World Cup in France, Owen went on to play 40 games for Liverpool the following season while still only 18.

As a 17-year-old, Owen played a staggering 44 games for the Reds in the 1997-98 season after playing for the England youth team in the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship in Malaysia. 

Ferguson, who signed the 32-year-old in 2009 before selling him to Stoke this summer, was quoted in The Sun saying: 'When the England youth team played in that tournament in Malaysia we had two players in the tournament at the same time, Curtis and Wallwork.

No rest: Owen, modelling his Movember moustache, played 44 games as a 17-year-old for Liverpool

No rest: Owen, modelling his Movember moustache, played 44 games as a 17-year-old for Liverpool

'We gave them a month's rest after they came back from the tournament but Liverpool put Owen right back in the first team.

'And then the following season he played in the World Cup so he never had a summer break.

'I don't think he was allowed to develop technically, as he himself said to me when I discussed it with him.

'It's maybe a bit churlish to say that's the reason he wasn't better. I think he would have been better technically but he was still a fantastic player.'

The comments below have not been moderated.

He did get burned out very quickly.

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By the way, United did not sell Owen to Stokes, he was allowed to leave on a free n only got into Stoke City on deadline day...get your facts right.

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Trying to hide his own shame I believe? Liverpool ruined his career and he still signed him? Doesn't say much for him then...

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Is it possible that if Taggart HADN'T rested Curtis & Wallwork & kept playing them like Liverpool did with Owen, then maybe Curtis & Wallwork COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER? Ferguson has just made himself look a fool.

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Owen won the European player of the year at Liverpool in 2001. Only one Man Utd player in Ferguson's whole time there - Ronaldo - has won it. So I think Ferguson should keep his advice for himself.

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Better and?? To play for Real Madrid and the old toilet team? Who cares.

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More rubbish from the clown. If by Cuttis and Wallork he means Clattenburg and Webb, then you have to say he has a point, he has managed perfectly.

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They should file down suarezs teeth to increase his speed - 19 TITLES, Cheshire, 17/11/2012 16:16>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>We don't need to. He scored two today again.

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What a load of trash has been written here. Grow up children!!!!

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LFC has becker the laughing stock of the football world

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