Michael Owen Says ‘Mind-Boggling’ Teammate Didn’t Get Enough Credit With England
Michael Owen has expressed his shock that a Liverpool teammate did not get the credit he deserved, despite making 79 appearances for England.
Owen made 89 appearances for the national team, scoring 40 goals between 1998 and 2008.
After breaking through at Liverpool, he earned his first call-up in February 1998, before becoming England's youngest goalscorer in May with a goal against Morocco.
Owen's greatest moment for his country came at the World Cup that summer, with a stunning goal to give England the lead against Argentina, although they were ultimately knocked out on penalties.
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The forward went on to score twice at the 2002 World Cup, but by the time of the following tournament in 2006, he was struggling with injuries.
Back in 2007, Owen was asked by football magazine FourFourTwo to name his perfect starting 11.
He included rivals from Manchester United, including Peter Schmeichel, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Roy Keane.
But there was also room for Liverpool teammates, including Steven Gerrard and John Barnes, who Owen felt had not received the credit he deserved.
He wrote: "I was fortunate enough to play with him a couple of times before he retired. A great player.
"He didn’t get the credit for England despite winning loads of caps, but I watch videos of Liverpool playing and 99 percent of goals come from Barnes beating five players and passing to Ian Rush to tap in!
"It was mind-boggling how skilful he was.
"I never saw him give the ball away and he used to caress it around the pitch.
"A joy to watch."
Earlier this year, Barnes criticised Owen's decision to leave Liverpool for Real Madrid in 2004.
The transfer was mirrored over the summer by Trent Alexander-Arnold, who had spent 20 years at his boyhood club.
Alexander-Arnold made his Anfield return last week, coming off the bench to a hostile reception, as Liverpool defeated Real Madrid 1-0 in the Champions League.
Ahead of that transfer, Barnes was asked for his thoughts on the move.
He joked: "Well... well, there was an opportunity for a Liverpool player to go to Real Madrid and wear the white shirt, but he didn't. So, some of us can resist it.”
Although Barnes had been linked with a move to Real Madrid in the 1980s, he stayed at Liverpool until 1997, when he moved to Newcastle United.
As Owen's Liverpool debut came in May 1997, the pair were only teammates in Merseyside for a few months.
Topics: Michael Owen, John Barnes, Football, Premier League, Liverpool
James Taylor