Freddy Shepherd has opened up about his time as Newcastle owner and has claimed a former Ballon D'or winner was his worst ever signing.

Remarkably it has been 10 years since Shepherd sold his majority stake in Newcastle United to current chairman Mike Ashley.

Former Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd reveals Michael Owen was his worst signing for Magpies -… https://t.co/mB8QPpiWWb #NewcastleUnited — Newcastle United (@toonarmy_today) February 27, 2017

Shepherd was incredibly unpopular with Newcastle fans during his ten-year reign as Newcastle chairman, and many of the Toon Army were optimistic when he sold his shares to Mike Ashley in 2007.

Yet since Ashley's purchase, Newcastle have faced two relegations and have not come close to achieving the same level of success as Shepherd's era. During the 2000s the side competed in the Champions League and on occasions challenged for the Premier League title.

And speaking to the ​Independent , Shepherd has claimed Ashley may have now have realised the stresses of owning one of England's sleeping giants.

“I respect Ashley," he said.

"He has a fantastic business but maybe with Newcastle being relegated twice, he’s realised it’s a much harder game than he thought it was.”

Shepherd also admitted that Michael Owen was his worst ever signing whilst at Newcastle.

"Owen." he responded when asked by reporters about his poorest purchase.

"It never worked out. Was the boat pushed out too far with that transfer? Yeah, I think so," he added.​

Owen moved to St James' Park in 2005 for £16.8m, yet injuries restricted the striker to just 79 appearances in four years on Tyneside.

It was also widely reported that the former Liverpool man was on a staggering £106k-a-week at Newcastle.

Ultimately, Owen was to leave St James' Park in 2009, after the club's relegation to the Championship.

Yet, Shepherd was much more complimentary about his former strike partner Alan Shearer and claimed he was the best signing he ever made.

During a 10-year stay at his boyhood club, Shearer managed 206 goals, making him the highest goal scorer in the club's history.