Hull City were left to rue missing Newcastle United transfer opportunity - they paid the ultimate price | OneFootball

The Tigers held an interest in Michael Owen after Newcastle's relegation to the Championship

The end of the 2008/09 saw Hull City maintain their Premier League status at the expense of Newcastle United on the final day.

Despite a disastrous five-month period at the MKM Stadium which saw just one win come the Tigers' way after the turn of the year, Phil Brown's celebrations in HU3 at the conclusion of the club's maiden top-flight campaign have become iconic, with the Magpies finishing a point and a place behind City as they sunk into the Championship for the first time since 1993.

A chaotic season on Tyneside saw a side full of established Premier League players, such as the attacking options of Michael Owen and Mark Viduka, relegated after a 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa, with plenty of change needed at St James' Park after their fate was sealed.

Whilst Hull had, ultimately, achieved their core objective for the campaign, goals had dried up significantly, with Geovanni ending the season as the club's top scorer with a total of eight goals. However, six of those had come prior to the end of November 2008, echoing such problems.

It was clear that, if the club were to continue establishing themselves among English football's elite, this was a key issue which needed rectifying.

And, despite declaring interest in the aforementioned Owen, the East Yorkshire side were left to rue missing out on the former Ballon d'Or winner's signature, and paid the ultimate price with a relegation season of their own.

Hull City's failed pursuit of Michael Owen after disastrous end to Newcastle United stint

Owen signed for Newcastle from Real Madrid for a club-record fee of £16.8m in August 2005, at a time when Hull had just regained their status as a second tier side under Peter Taylor after back-to-back promotions.

Regardless of his prior reputation as a star at Liverpool and for England, which included iconic goals against the likes of Argentina and Germany, the striker's career had already become plagued by injuries, which, coupled with a downward trajectory in the North East, was far from a successful combination.

The 2007/08 season proved to be his most potent in the North East with 13 goals in 33 appearances, before a disastrous final season under four different managers.

Owen would still end the season as the club's highest scorer in all competitions, but it was far from a respectable ending to his four-year stint with the club, with it being revealed 10 years later by the forward that Alan Shearer, who was in charge of the final eight games of the season, blamed him for the Geordies' demise.

The striker confirmed his departure in June 2009, with Brown revealing a day later that Hull planned to hold talks with the veteran, stating: "We will be speaking to Michael's representatives within the week.

"I would think he would have a number of offers and we'll have to be competitive. But I wouldn't sit down with him if I thought I was wasting my time. Anything is possible in football."

It was then revealed, amid competition from Everton, that the Tigers were willing to offer him £60,000-per-week on a two-year contract, but Hull would eventually be unsuccessful in their lofty pursuit.

Michael Owen enjoyed success at Manchester United whilst the Tigers were relegated

Brown's interest in Owen was coupled with links to eventual European hotshots in Alvaro Negredo and Edinson Cavani, but the Hull boss landed none of the trio, instead signing Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, Kamel Ghilas and Jozy Altidore as the answers to his goalscoring problems.

A week after leaving the freshly-relegated side, it was confirmed that the 29-year-old had joined reigning Premier League champions, Manchester United, on a two-year-deal.

"I am now looking forward to being a Manchester United player and I am fortunate that I already know so many of the players here," Owen stated.

Unsurprisingly, fortunes at Old Trafford and the MKM Stadium couldn't have been more contrasting throughout the season.

The experienced striker netted some momentous goals for the Red Devils, including an iconic last-minute winner in a pulsating 4-3 victory over Manchester City in September 2009, as well as being an integral part of the club's EFL Cup triumph, before winning the Premier League the following season.

Meanwhile, Hull were left to rue missing out on such goalscoring prowess, only scoring 34 times in 38 matches, with Brown being placed on gardening leave in March 2010, as the club's first stint in the top division concluded amid major financial uncertainty and a fire-sale in the off-season.