Soccer: In Rob we trust

Robbie Fowler enjoys the Queensland lifestyle. Photo / Getty Images

God is in Wellington.

Many people think He is omnipresent but this god travels economy class, is mortal and, while popular, isn't revered by half of the world's population.

Robbie Fowler is the biggest name in this year's A-League and today his idiosyncratically-named North Queensland Fury tackle the Wellington Phoenix at the Cake Tin.

At 34, he's not as spritely as the Fowler who banged in 183 goals in 369 games for Liverpool. But he's proved he's lost none of his striker's instinct after picking up a hat-trick of awards for the A-League Goal of the Week in the past three rounds.

His strike last week, when he lobbed Sydney FC goalkeeper Clint Bolton, was exquisite and went some way to illustrating why fans from the red side of Liverpool chose such a lofty nickname for their former No 9.

For all of Fowler's achievements as a player and all his spectacular strikes, what makes Fowler so popular is his commonality. Liverpool fans identified with him because he was a local lad from one of the city's poorer areas made good - the stereotypical 'Scouse scallywag'.

Some might say he too often crossed the line - or snorted it in his infamous goal celebration of 1999 that incurred a four-game ban. He lived up to his Spice Boy image as an underachieving playboy and some feel his gay taunts of England team-mate Graeme Le Saux were abhorrent.

But in 1996 he won the Uefa Fair Play award for admitting he hadn't been fouled by then Arsenal goalkeeper DavidSeaman after being awarded a penalty. The referee wouldn't be swayed but Fowler's tame effort was easily saved (Fowler is adamant he didn't miss on purpose but many believe otherwise).

As a child he was known as Robert Ryder, his mother's surname, lived in Toxteth at the time of the 1981 riots and supported Everton.

He made a name for himself as a schoolboy, once scoring 16 goals for Thorvald in a 26-0 thrashing, and signed for Liverpool as a 10-year-old.

He made his senior Liverpool debut in 1993 at just 18. He scored, of course, in a 3-1 win over Fulham in the League Cup and netted all five in the return leg at Anfield a fortnight later.

A legend - or God, should we say - was born.

Fowler was widely considered to be the most natural finisher in the English league and played 26 times for England. He formed a potent strike partnership with Stan Collymore for Liverpool. In three seasons in the mid-1990s, he scored an amazing 98 goals in 154 games.

But he fell out of favour with manager Gerard Houllier in the 2001-02 season, with the Frenchman preferring Michael Owen and Emile Heskey. He moved to Leeds and Manchester City before a surprise return to Anfield in 2006.

Fans were ecstatic, unveiling banners which read: 'God - welcome back to heaven'. Fowler said his return made him feel like "a kid waking up on Christmas morning every day".

But the festive season couldn't last forever and he had stints at Cardiff City and Blackburn before his surprise move to Townsville.

Many questioned his destination for this season but Fowler admits it was for more than just football reasons.

"I love football ... it's the best job in the world," Fowler told reporters yesterday. "But this is a different challenge for me. If I'm being totally honest, I've got four kids and the lifestyle in Australia and this part of the world is probably much better than it is back in the UK."

How long he commits to North Queensland is a matter of debate. He certainly doesn't need money. In 2005, Fowler was reported to have a fortune worth £137m ($314m), with a significant property portfolio.

Manchester City fans, not ones to miss a beat, used to chant, 'We all live in a Robbie Fowler house', sung to the tune of Yellow Submarine.

"When you come towards the end of your career, you do think about that more," he says. "I've always thought I'd retire younger. But the older you get, the harder it is to let go."

The A-League is certainly better for having Fowler. What he has done is make even more people talk about football across the Tasman.

A crowd of close to 17,000 turned up to the Sydney game last weekend, their biggest in some time, and there was a buzz not seen since Dwight Yorke added the sparkle to Bling FC in season one. Many fans wore Liverpool shirts and chanted his name.

The term marquee player is often overused but Fowler embodies that definition.

He might be a little embarrassed by his nickname - today's game with the Phoenix is being billed as God in Godzone - but it must come with its advantages.