Fowler raring to go for new A-League club

Former Liverpool star Robbie Fowler says he is keenly counting down to next month’s kick-off for the Australian A-League season with his new club North Queensland Fury.

The 33-year-old former England striker, whose goal-scoring exploits once saw him idolised on the red half of Merseyside, will be the Fury’s marquee player as the club makes its debut in the A-League this season.

Fowler dismissed suggestions earlier this week that he was seeking a move back to England and said he was eagerly anticipating his first appearance for the Fury against Sydney FC on August 8.

“The season’s coming up and everyone’s starting to get the butterflies in the stomach and it’s an exciting time,” Fowler said on Friday.

Fowler said he hadn’t experienced too many problems with northern Queensland’s tropical climate and didn’t think the heat would be a factor for him in the coming Australian season.

“I think people are probably make more of it (the climate) than what it is to be fair,” he said.

“As a player you play in hot countries and hot climates anyway so you tend to get used to them.”

Fowler said the arrival of his family in Townsville would help him settle further, though he had enjoyed his time in Australia so far.

“I was quite settled anyway. The fact is I was over here for two months without them,” he said.

“Obviously I missed them immensely and the fact they are over here now helps a little bit more but I was settled anyway and the fact is they’re here which will calm me down a little bit more.”

Fowler scored 120 goals in 236 league appearances for Liverpool and also played for Leeds United, Manchester City, Cardiff City and Blackburn Rovers, where he was released late last year after a short stint.