Some people in this world you idolise. You wish upon anything that you’ll one day be able to meet them; even talk to them. Any interaction is magical.
For me, Michael Owen represents everything I follow football for. He introduced it to me, he enticed me in as I believe he did for many. He was Liverpool’s player as much, and if not more, than he was for any other club. He remains an icon for me.
His career has spanned from Merseyside to Madrid, but now Michael Owen has taken his time out to answer a few questions, exclusively for Read Liverpool. Possibly this will become his career highlight…
1. It seems you feel more comfortable in England than you did abroad, but do you think you learned from your experiences?[quote]I really enjoyed my time at Real Madrid and feel I was able to adapt to the style of play and the culture in Spain. There is no place like home though and the Premier League is certainly my favourite.[/quote]
2. You have played with Zidane, McManaman and Figo but where does Steven Gerrard rank in terms of great midfielders you have played alongside?[quote]He is right up there. Stevie and I played alongside each other from the age of 11 and he always stood out. He showed from an early age he had the potential to play at the highest level and has undoubtedly gone on to become one of the greatest midfielders of his generation.[/quote]
3. Luis Suarez is certainly attracting a lot of media attention at the moment. What do you make of the media storm that seems to follow him?[quote]There is no denying Suarez is one of the best strikers in the world. Unfortunately he was involved in a number of high-profile incidents when he first arrived and rightly/wrongly a reputation was formed.[/quote]
4. With Liverpool doing so well at youth level; do you think that its harder to break through into the first team now than it was when you first started?[quote]No…I think there has always been an ethos at Liverpool to bring youngsters through from the academy into the first team and, in Brendan Rodgers, there is a desire to continue developing youngsters and giving them a chance.[/quote]
5. What effect do you feel that being played so much in your younger years has had on your career and how much of an influence do you think that has had on your recent injury problems?[quote]I do believe playing so many games at such a young age has contributed to certain injuries and I think if I had been managed differently I would have been at my best for longer. I wouldn’t change anything though as the best years of my life were at Liverpool. I did a blog on this earlier in the year, which you can read in full at http://www.michaelowen.com/blog.html[/quote]
6. You won the Ballor d’Or in 2001 for your individual achievements, how special was that as a player and for the team?[quote]It was an honour to receive such a prestigious award but I probably see as more special now than I did back then. We had a great season as a team, winning all those trophies and I couldn’t have done it without my teammates. [/quote]
7. If you were to stay as injury free as possible, how many more years do we have of watching you on the pitch?[quote]With my injury record I take it season by season, but still enjoying playing.[/quote]
8. A lot of us have seen you on the Match of the Day sofa this season; is the media somewhere you would like to go after you hang up your boots or would coaching/management be more preferable?[quote]I enjoy talking about football and have enjoyed the media work so yes, it is something of potential interest and would be a great way to keep in touch with the game…that said I have also been doing my coaching badges and I have a few other ideas in and around the game that I might pursue so wouldn’t rule anything out at this stage. [/quote]
9. If you had to pick one, what would your favourite Liverpool moment or goal be?[quote]I’d have to say the FA Cup final against Arsenal in that memorable treble winning season in 2000/2001. Combination of scoring both goals late on which resulted in us lifting the trophy. It can’t get any better. [/quote]
10. Have you got any regrets in your footballing career?[quote]I’m lucky to have played for my country and some of the biggest teams in world football and I’m not really one for regrets. As I said earlier, the best years of my life were at Liverpool – and spells at Real Madrid, Newcastle, Manchester United and Stoke have given me a career to be proud of.
But, I hear Istanbul is nice in May!!!![/quote]
11. You have a very loyal following as well as those who have moved on. What would you like to say to the fans that have stayed with you?[quote]I’m extremely grateful for all the support over the years, as I have been lucky to have great support at every club I have played for. [/quote]
