World Cup 98 - Owen "In action"

"The Kop - June Issue"

by Chris Bascombe

I recall a conversation with a number of Liverpool fans about three years ago which went something like this...
"Have you heard about this kid Owen playing for the youth team?"
"Owen?"
"Yeah, apparently he's going to be as good as Fowler."
"No, he can't be that good!" A year later similar conversations were taking place around the city, only this time the comparisons were even more extravagant.
"Apparently he's going to be better than Rush," people were claiming. After his first year in The Premiership what do we think now? Some say he'll be the best Liverpool player since Dal-glish. And even if Liverpool contacted Inter Milan and said we'll swap Michael for Ronaldo, most Reds would feel the Italians had got the bet-ter deal!
Although Liverpool fans knew Owen was there biding his time and waiting for his chance, not even the imagina-tion of Walter Mitty would have pre-dicted exactly how good the teenager is already. t's hard to see how he can get any better.
But unlike other youngsters who burst onto the scene in a blaze of glory there is more to the teenager than his performances on the pitch. Away from the game he presents himself as every inch a model profes-sional. He's becoming a major ambas-sador for the club - and now his coun-try - and while he must be in cloud nine when he considers the season he's had, his feet remain securely on the ground.
There's a sense that Owen was ware he was destined to fulfil his promise, although even he admits at being surprised by his own staggering progress.
"All your life you want to play at the highest level and that's were you really show what you're made of: the big stage," admits the PFA Young Player of the Year and Carling Player of the Year.
"But I'd be lying If I said 1 wasn't sur-prised by the speed at which it's all happened. I wouldn't have expected it to be so so quick. It's been a real achievement for me."
To be a youngster thrown into the lion's den which is the media spotlight is also a danger, with the inevitably certain joumalists are interested in more than just football, but again Owen seems unfazed by the attention.
"I think that it's fair to say I was pre-pared for the possibility of being suc-cessful," he says in a calm, authorita-tive manner.
"I've always wanted to be in this position and I will always have confi-dence in my own ability. I don't let nerves get to me because all through my career I've felt I had enough to make it as a professional footballer. When I was playing as a schoolboy I knew 1 had scouts watching me and it made me want to perform better. I felt comfortable playing in front of scouts from the big clubs. I just carried this on when I made my debut for Liverpool against Wimbledon. I think I've been brought up to handle the pressure well."
Here is a young man with his head
firmly screwed on who is not going to let his fame pull him of the rails. He says his biggest influence is his father Terry, a former professional who clearly knew his lad had a bit about him at an early stage. This explains why he seems well versed in how to deal with his fame and it hasn't gone to his head.
"I don't think I have changed. I have the same family and friends who have always supported me, but I do have to get used to being stopped in the street. But when you're young you dream of this and realise a responsibil-ity comes with it.
"Things like that and handling the media are all part and parcel of the job."
So in a year where success followed more success, what stands out more than anything else?

Ambition
"The highlight of the season was my England debut against Chile. It's a life-time ambition of mine to represent my country and I wasn't expecting it to happen at all at this stage. I played more games than I expected for Liver-pool and then everything followed from that. I have just tried to take things step by step after that," he said. "When I joined the squad for the first time Alan Shearer just told me to do what I do for my club for my country and I would be fine and that's what I tried to do."
With so many internationals in the Liverpool starting line-up and then joining the world stage for the first time, one might have expected the youngster to be slightly overawed but his performances belied his inexperience.

- Think back to last August when Fowler and Riedle were expected to lead the line. An occasional starting place seemed to be the best Owen could hope for. But once he was given his chance there was no stopping the 18-year-old. So were the more experi-enced players a big help to the rookie star?
"I wouldn't say anyone has taken me under their wing but I look at players like Robbie Fowler and karlheinz RiedIe who are good professionals and watch how they play. Karlheinz is a great fella. A lot of the players have seen what he's achieved in the game and look up to him. There's so much to learn from him as a player," says Michael, who never showed his appreciation of the German more than when he scored in the Coca-Cola cup at Newcastle and immediately ran to the Liverpool substitute to celebrate.
As for Fowler, Owen certainly has taken no comfort in the fact that Rob-bie's ill luck opened the door for him at both domestic and international level. "The injury was awful for Robbie. He was a great influence for my first year and a big loss to the club and his country. He'll be back next season though."
The opportunity to see the real Rob-bie Fowler alongside Owen, something Reds fans are yet to experience at Anfield given the 22-year-olds lack of full fitness last year, is also a mouth watering prospect for next season.
However, one concern which has been repeated is the worry that next year the rigours of virtually two years non-stop football might catch up with Owen. That's something he plays down. The facts support him. While his first three goals for Liverpool this sea-son were scored over 16 appearanc-es, his last 20 were scored in just 28 games. Clearly he's getting stronger not weaker.
"I have not felt tired for my club so I don't fear burn out," is Owen's response. And with so many good influences around him, it's fair to assume a well earned break after the World Cup will be high on the priority list anyway. After that it will be back to the business of Premiership action when many Liverpool fans will be anticipating the teenager will lead the charge for honours.
"We feel we should have done better this year. We know we have to improve as a team and I believe the manager is looking to strengthen the squad," is Owen's assessment of Liverpool's season.
And on the issue of team strength-ening, one question which would inter-est all reds is if any Premiership defenders Owen has come against left a lasting impression in his first year. When he's asked this a name regularly linked with a move to Anfield immedi-ately crops up.
"Sol Campbell impresses me, he's a good player," he responds.
Having pointed out that Spurs, like many others this season it must be said, had been virtually ripped to shreds by Michael this year, he lets out a smile.
"Yes, I did well against Tottenham. I scored my first goal at Anfield when I came on as a substitute against them and laid on three goals at White Hart Lane."
This is also a typical response. There's a sense that every detail of every goal he scored or contributed to
could probably be recalled in intimate detail. When I ask Michael if he feels there are any weaknesses in his game, again his awareness of every contribu-tion he has made this season is appar-ent.
"There are always parts of your game you can work on and you can never be satisfied if you want to make it as far as possible in the game. I would like to score more goals with my head, although I did manage one this year against Southampton at Anfield," he recalls. To be fair he's not had many chances with his head so how good he is on that front is difficult to assess.

Europe
But one sobering thought for Liver-pool fans is that Owen's contract runs out in four years time.
Not that reds should be too worried. I'm sure Liverpool's directors are already saving those extra 'pennies' to ensure the brilliant striker stays at Anfield for many more years yet. But the mind boggles at what Owen will be worth to his club, fans and country by the time he's 22. His value to a Liver-pool side who without him would have struggled to qualify for Europe this season is already immeasurable.
And if the Reds continue to struggle to win trophies would it be fair to assume Owen would fancy life at a top European club?
"I still have four years of my contract remaining at Liverpool so the prospect of playing in Europe is not going to come up and it's not an option," he emphasizes.
"Hopefully I will continue to do well and stay at Liverpool Football Club."

Such a commitment to Liverpool colours is not unexpected, and thank God it was the Reds who snatched him up in the first place. When a player as good as Owen arrives on the scene, obviously more than one club takes an interest. The horrific 'Fergie factor' fortunately made no difference. "I did talk to Alex Ferguson and I know Manchester United were in for me. There were a lot of scouts watching me at the time but I went to Liverpool and have been at the club since I was 11-years-old," Owen says, much to the relief of all Liverpudlians.
And now the World Cup beckons and nothing Owen achieves over the next four weeks will surprise Liverpool fans. A place in the England starting line-up? A golden boot? Even a winners medal? If he isn't able to get one or all these things this time around, he'll have his eye on them in the future.
If he did ever win a World Cup golden boot he would also be emulat-ing a hero of his, quite possibly the last natural goalscorer to emerge as an England star.
"I wouldn't say I have modelled myself on any particular player, but someone I did look up to was Gary Lineker and I was a big admirer of the way he scored goals for his club and country. I remember watching him scoring goals in the World Cup and then I become interested in being a footballer myself," he explains. Owen adds he is also aware many observers in the game feel he should be starting in France '98 and given the chance to lead the pursuit of goals.
"It's nice to be told there would be a national outcry If I wasn't picked for the squad. If I'm picked to play for
England I feel confident I can do well. I never doubt my own ability. I do think we have got a very good chance of winning the World Cup because we have many good players."
For now, the boy wonders how far he can go in the game, and for Liver-pool fans there can be only unre-strained joy that for the foreseeable future the next world superstar will be in viewing distance every week.
Since his rise, not surprisingly, the sponsorship offers have been arriving thick and fast at his door. "There have been a lot of offers from the commercial side and this is the first I have done," he said at the sign-ing of his first major commercial deal with watch firm Tissot UK. There are certain to be many more because already his name carries an image that sits comfortably with Anfield traditions.
He's focused, dedicated, supremely ambitious, confident in his own ability and determined to succeed. These qualities and more ooze from his per-sona and he's proving to be a class act on and off the pitch. What's also clear is you can put all that recycled nonsense about the Anfield Spice Boys into the rubbish heap. It's the 'All Saint' Michael James Owen who's the new boy king of the Kop. Long may his reign continue.
And of course, day by day new admirers appear, from Pele to Cesare Maldini, who single him out as a star.
"It's great to hear people like that saying things about you but you have to keep playing well for them to keep talking about you," is Owen's view on that.
I think we can assume Michael Owen will be dominating conversa-tions for many more years to come!