Michael Owen has revealed what surprised him about Zinedine Zidane amid the manager's links with Manchester United.
Following a disappointing 1-1 draw with Leeds United, Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim made controversial comments that proved to be the last of his career at Old Trafford.
The 40-year-old joined United in November 2024, leading them for 63 games, winning 24 matches, drawing 18 while losing on 21 occasions, meaning he leaves the club with the worst win ratio (31.9%) of any permanent manager.
Since his dismissal, several different names have been linked to take over as Manchester United manager, with former boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer currently the favourite to return to the dugout over four years after being sacked.
Advert
Elsewhere on the list of potential options for United is Real Madrid legend Zidane, a link that may shock England icon Owen who exclusively told SPORTbible the one detail of Zidane's career that has surprised him.
Since calling quits on their playing careers, many of the best players in football have decided to venture into management and use their expertise to lead the next generation.
However, while speaking exclusively to SPORTbible, Owen admitted that there are several former players that he competed with or against that he never would have expected to become managers once they retired.
Speaking to SPORTbible via Caisno.org where he is UK ambassador, which helps players find the best casino online options in Britain, Owen confessed: "I didn't think Zidane would, I was surprised that Rooney did.
"A little bit surprised that Steven Gerard did, although towards the end of his career, he really started becoming a leader, but not at the start. I think he was reasonably quiet and shy. I didn't see that early on in his career.
"I didn't think Robbie Fowler would, but he's really keen and he's had quite a few jobs and really enjoys it."
As it stands, Zidane is an outside pick to succeed Amorim at United, with it widely expected that he could replace Xabi Alonso at Real Madrid should he be sacked or, failing that, take over from France manager Didier Deschamps after the 2026 World Cup.
But, if the United board were able to convince the World Cup winner to finally come to the Premier League, it would no doubt be viewed as a massive move forward for the club thanks to Zidane's experience winning 11 trophies as manager of Real Madrid, including a historic three consecutive Champions League titles.
Former United star Michael Carrick is also among the top candidates expected to take the United job, but Owen, who played alongside Carrick for three years at Old Trafford, was also surprised to see his former teammate decide to become a manager.
He added: "Nicky Butt, I probably thought he would, and to a certain extent he has in a way, but I didn't think Michael Carrick would, to be honest."
Topics: Michael Owen, Zinedine Zidane, Manchester United, Football, Premier League
Ben McCrum