Birmingham City Football Club considered signing Michael Owen in the summer.

The England international was available on a free transfer following the end of his Newcastle United deal, and it appeared as though he was struggling for offers.

In the end Sir Alex Ferguson swooped to take him to Manchester United, and the 29-year-old became an instant hero when he scored the winner against neighbours City on Sunday.

Alex McLeish has now revealed he considered making an offer to take Owen to St Andrews, but the Blues boss decided against it due in part to his expected wage demands.

"I remember speaking to Alex when he signed him, we'd actually thought about Michael Owen and he told me in a conversation he had signed him," said McLeish.

"He said 'where else am I going to get 15 goals in a season for nothing?'. I'm sure he cost nothing, but then there's wages there. But I knew exactly what Alex meant.

"It was one of those ones where, would Michael Owen get the same level of chances created for him in our side that he would at a club like Man United? I think Alex Ferguson could take any goalscorer from any country and he would get goals in that side."

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