Cardiff City never saw what Liverpool did with Kop hero: View | OneFootball

Robbie Fowler's move to Cardiff City did not go down as well as most fans would have hoped.

The Liverpool legend joined the club in the summer of 2007, joining a host of other legends of the game.

He signed a reported two-year deal on a free transfer from Liverpool, joining the likes of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Trevor Sinclair at Ninian Park. His £15,000 per week wages were among the most in the squad, and signalled the club's trust in the man Liverpool fans called "God".

Fowler took the number eight shirt, previously worn by fan-favourite striker Michael Chopra. His goal was to help fire the team into the Premier League for the first time, achieving the lofty heights that manager Dave Jones wanted for the club.

However, it did not quite go to plan.

Fowler struggled with fitness and goals at Ninian Park

Despite being a big name signing, Fowler failed to hit the heights he had at Liverpool while in South Wales.

The England forward only managed to play 13 out of 46 Championship matches that season, as the big summer signing was blighted with injuries. He didn't play at all after Christmas, with his final match being a 60-second cameo against Bristol City in December.

His four goals in 13 appearances was a respectable return, but not for the highest paid player and main striker in the team. Two of those were in a 2-2 draw against Preston North End, and in actuality, he only won the club two points with his goals.

One key part of the build up to the 2008 FA Cup final surrounded Fowler. He had spent a large part of the season injured, and many were wondering whether he would be fit to lead the team out at Wembley Stadium.

that he did not want to jeopardise the team by playing while unfit. While he passed the fitness test, he missed out on a place on the bench for the Wembley Stadium defeat.

Fowler's Cardiff exit

After missing out on the FA Cup Final, Fowler left Cardiff on a free transfer to move to Blackburn Rovers. He was offered a "pay-as-you-play" deal to stay an extra year, with the Bluebirds not wanting to be out of pocket should he miss another 30 matches the following year.

Fowler spoke in an interview about his time at Cardiff. While he only spent a season and played just 13 matches for the Bluebirds, he said that leaving the club was the biggest mistake he ever made in football. This may surprise many City fans, who remember his spell at Ninian Park less than fondly. He said: “People often ask me about regrets and mistakes in football and leaving Cardiff is probably my biggest mistake. I left because Blackburn was closer to home, but with hindsight, I probably wouldn’t have done it.”

He even tried returning to the club a year after leaving, but was quickly rebuffed by the Cardiff hierarchy. While Fowler may have enjoyed his time with the Bluebirds, it was certainly not reciprocated by the club or the fans.