Robbie Fowler: ‘I’ll bring passion back to Brisbane Roar’

Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler lays out his plans for the Roar as he is unveiled as coach.

Robbie Fowler with Brisbane Roar captain Matt McKay in 2015. Picture: Jono Searle

Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler says his passion, commitment and the knowledge that comes with playing for almost 20 years in top flight football will be vital ingredients as he looks to turn around the fortunes of Brisbane Roar.

Fowler, who will be officially unveiled as Roar coach at a press conference on the Gold Coast at midday, spoke exclusively to The Australian this morning about his hopes and plans in what will be his first senior coaching role.

“I want to bring passion and commitment, something, in all fairness that the club appears to have lacked lately,” Fowler said. “The club have massively backed me and I am grateful and proud but it is now up to me and bring the right players in, players who are exactly the same as me, committed, with the drive and passion and everything else that goes with being a professional player.

“I obviously have one or two plans in what I would like to do.

“My upbringing and some of the managers I have played under, it has been all about playing football the right way and bringing the best out of players and I am positive I can do that.”

Fowler stopped short of making any bold predictions about where he can take the three-time championship club.

“I wouldn’t sit here and say we are going to do this and do that because that would leave myself open to criticism,” he said. “I have my idea of what I want to play and do and I’ll do everything we can on the training pitch to ensure that happens.

“The players will have a real understanding of what’s going to be needed. They’ll know by the work we do on the training pitch and that is vitally important.”

Fowler, who played with North Queensland Fury then Perth Glory in the A-League some 10 years ago, sees Brisbane Roar as a good fit for him.

“Why not?” he said when he was asked why did he want the job at the Roar.

“It’s a club that has been brilliant over the years in the A-League, especially when I was over here a few years ago with Fury and Perth,” he said. “They were the standout team then, the great football they played.

“I know they have had some tough times lately, but the plans they have in what they can offer is unbelievable. It really it is.

“It’s a great job for me to get the club to where they should be. My job is to try and get that up and running again.

“I know it won’t be easy, but I am prepared to do everything right.

“I want do very best I can. It’s the right place for me. If I didn’t want to do it then I wouldn’t have put my hand up for job in the first place.

“Me being here shows people I am passionate about the football in Australia and committed to do very best I can.”

During his stunning career, Fowler played 426 games and scored 231 goals, but it was at Liverpool where he became a legend, playing 308 games and scoring 182 goals while also representing England 26 times (seven goals).

He was understandably a popular figure during his stint in the A-League between 2009 and 2011, notching nine goals in 26 games for Fury and nine goals in 28 games for Perth Glory.

Fowler was always accessible to the media during his time here and often spoke well of the A-League.