Since he electrified first the Premiership, then the world, in the 1997-98 season, Michael Owen has continued to rewrite the record books, A tally of 22 goals for England in 50 matches makes Owen’s personal challenge of 50 goals as a result of 100 caps for the national side a distinctly achievable one.
Owen was the star of Liverpool’s Youth Cup-winning side in 1996. Roy Evans handed him his Premiership debut at Wimbledon at the end of the 1996-97 season, and the 17-year-old immediately notched his first senior goal. He scored 30 more in the 1997-98 season, earning him the PFA Young Player of the Year award, and more significantly an England call-up. When, in February 1998, he lined up against Chile, Owen became the youngest England player of the century: at 18 years 59 days he took the record previously held by Duncan Edwards. Shortly afterv/ards, he became the youngest player to score for England when he netted a goal against Morocco in a World Cup warm-up match.
Goal of the tournament
England manager Glenn Hoddle took him to the World Cup in France 1998, but not as first-choice striker Owen changed that after he came off the bench to score against Romania. In the second round clash with Argentina he won a penalty, then struck the goal of the tournament.
Owen’s glittering career has presented numerous highlights, including a stunning two-goal tally to seize the FA Cup from Arsenal in 2001, and the marvellous hat-trick in the 5-1 demolition of Germany in a World Cup qualifier four months later It was such performances which earned him the 2001 European Footballer of the Year award, the first British player to achieve that honour since Kevin Keegan in 1979. He celebrated, in true Owen style, by striking his hundredth goal for Liverpool in the same month.
His second World Cup in Japan and Korea in 2002 brought him goals against Denmark and Brazil. And the penalty he won in the game against Argentina in the‘Group of Death’ was instrumental in England’s momentous defeat of their historic rivals.
Still in his early twenties, the young maestro has the prospect of a long England career in front of him; there will be many opportunities for him to work towards that challenge of 50 goals in 100 matches.
FA Cup 2003: Arsenal I Southampton 0
Above: Robert Pires, scorer of the game’s only goal, with David Seaman celebrating the victory.
Top: Michael Owen receives the applause from the crowd with David Beckham in pursuit.
World History
