English FA Premiership: The Liverpool megastore was struggling to balance paltry supply with frenzied demand yesterday to the extent that, with the queues reflecting "God's" second coming, they had run out of figure ones for the Fowler 11 shirts by late morning.
While the excuses were being made, round the corner in the club's trophy room the player himself was suggesting there might be ample time in which to replenish the depleted stock.
"It is common knowledge that I am only here for six months, but if I do well then who knows what might happen?" said Robbie Fowler, barely able to suppress the smile which has been plastered across his face since his return last week.
"The rumours were that I was going to pack it in after this season, but I can honestly say that has never entered my head. I am 30 so, hopefully, I have five years left playing at this level."
Little attempt was made to disguise his desperation to have those seasons seen out at his spiritual home.
Fowler's return was still drawing gasps of thrilled disbelief yesterday from those who thought they had seen his last finish wearing the red of Liverpool. Now they can hope to see the former England forward add to his tally of 171 goals in 330 appearances for the club he joined as a nine-year-old.
It is four years since a deteriorating relationship with Gerard Houllier forced him from Anfield, but hip and back injuries turned his spells at Leeds and Manchester City effectively into wasted seasons.
Given that patchy fitness record, it was perhaps apt the chief executive, Rick Parry, began yesterday's proceedings with an insistence that Fowler was back for footballing and not sentimental reasons.
Expectation hangs in the air, fuelled by the memories of his first spell at the club, and the fear is that reality may bring disappointment. He was happy to confront the building anticipation.
"There is pressure to live up to expectations, but it's pressure I will love," he said. "Hopefully it will bring the best out of me. I am confident in what I can do and I will let everyone know when my time is up.
"But I feel good. I have had a few injuries and there have been times when that has taken its toll, but I was playing regularly last season and there were even whispers I might get back into the England squad. Then I suffered the back injury and all of a sudden people think you've lost the hunger. I am more hungry now than I've ever been.
"It upsets you a bit when people question that. There will be a few people who are not entirely happy about me coming back but I think perhaps 99 per cent will be pleased."
If Fowler's excitement is understandable, Liverpool's logic in rehiring him is initially less so, particularly given their inability to re-sign Michael Owen - a player more obviously in his prime - last summer. Yet, where it would have taken £16 million to bring the current England forward back from Real Madrid, Fowler comes for nothing.
Even if he cannot conjure the magic of old, the transfer represents little risk. Indeed Rafael Benitez suggested he had been considering a move for him since a chance meeting in a Liverpool pub after the side's Champions League semi-final victory over Chelsea last season.
"Robbie was in a pub - only with a soft drink - with us and we were talking about football," said the Spaniard, who suggested the Kop's favourite son would begin tomorrow's match against Birmingham on the bench.
"Steve McManaman was also there and you could hear all the fans saying, 'You should sign Robbie again. I am always thinking about my strikers, but the idea was always in my mind. Unless you're spending £100 million every year you have to be imaginative (in the market) and this kind of agreement can be very positive for everyone." - Guardian Service
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