Former Liverpool striker Michael Owen insists the serialisation of his new book has been taken out of context.

Owen's book, 'Reboot', has caused huge controversy as excerpts are published.

But he says: "Deciding to write a book had nothing to do with money. In fact, I didn't get a penny from any newspaper for the serialisation of my book.

"Worse still, those statements that are taken out of context are seen as gospel and debated on every platform nationwide. That results in a pointless discussion in which I am portrayed in a bad light. I look forward to people actually reading the book and making up their own mind.

"I agreed to serialisation because there would be no point in writing a book unless people read it. Serialisation helps spread the word as you know. However, I've been astounded by how my words have been taken so out of context."