Michael Owen – A Career Remembered (Video)
Michael Owen was a childhood hero for most 90s kids who watched football. He scored on his first team debut for Liverpool against Wimbledon in 1997 which saw him catch the eye of the nation. It was in the 1998 World Cup where he burst onto the world scene, a tournament in which he scored a wonder goal against Argentina which was voted as one of the goals of the century. Owen had lightning pace which meant no defender could live with him and he was Liverpool’s top scorer from 1997-2004.
In 2001, Liverpool won a stunning cup treble with Owen picking up the Ballon d’Or. Owen was expected to push on and become one of the greatest English football players ever but this moment ended up being the pinnacle of his career.
When Real Madrid came calling in 2004, Owen had hit the big time but he was frequently used as a substitute and only lasted one year in Spain. He still managed to bag 13 league goals, mind. He then joined Newcastle but his time there was dogged by injuries which would continue for the rest of his career. When the Geordies were relegated, Man Utd perhaps surprisingly snapped him up on a free transfer. He struggled with injuries throughout his three years at Old Trafford and is most fondly remembered for his winning goal in the 4-3 Manchester Derby of 2009. This season, he joined Stoke but has barely figured which led to him announcing his retirement.
Injuries have been a major part of Owen’s career, in true he never really recovered from that first hamstring injury he picked up. He broke a metatarsal in 2006 which almost saw him miss the World Cup and when he did make it, he got a devastating knee injury which kept him out for a year. From then on, Owen had lost his lightning burst of pace almost completely.
Despite his injury problems, Owen will still be regarded as a great at club and international level. He was the youngest player to reach 100 Premier League goals and is one of seven players to have scored over 150 goals in that league. On the international stage, he is the only player to have scored at four tournaments for England and scored 40 goals in total for his country.
Owen was a truly special talent but just think what he could have achieved if he was injury free.
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