European Footballer of 2001

September 2 - 2001
Owen back on top 

When the going gets tough, Michael Owen gets going.

Saving his best for the biggest stage has become the hallmark of the Liverpool youngster, whose staggering talents have often been threatened by injury woe.

He peaked in the 1998 World Cup but then suffered a dip in form early last season.

However, true to form, Owen came out the other side and helped fire Liverpool to their treble, including two crucial strikes against Serie A leaders Roma in their own backyard which set the Reds on the road to their UEFA Cup victory.

Owen's big-time heroics continued when he scored twice in the final seven minutes as Liverpool came back from the dead to beat Arsenal 2-1 in the FA Cup final at the Millennium Stadium.

On Liverpool's historic first-ever appearance in the Champions League last month the red-hot striker blasted a hat-trick in the 5-0 victory over FC Haka.

He scored in the Charity Shield victory over Manchester United and, just when people were thinking Owen could not get any better, he scored in the 3-2 win over last season's Champions League winners Bayern Munich.

Of course, Owen had announced his intentions in the summer of 1998, when he scored one of the greatest goals in World Cup history against Argentina.

But one year later he began a descent which briefly threatened to turn him from World Cup glory boy into just another burnt out kid with unfulfilled potential leaking out of his blistered boots.

Less than a year after he finally emerged from puppy-fat to thrill the world at France 98, Owen was facing up to the first of a series career-threatening spells on the sidelines.

Hamstring and tendon injuries sustained during a match against Leeds were not the least of his problems. Groin trouble, brain scans, back problems - at the age of just 21, Owen had seen it all.

His innocent grin of enjoyment was replaced by the haunted look of one bent double beneath the twin albatrosses of immense expectation and physical pain.

True, Owen finished Liverpool's top scorer with 12 goals in 30 games that season, but it was too much of an effort for the boy wonder, and England's early exit at Euro 2000 served only to highlight his dramatic decline.

At the start of last season it was his rejuvenated team-mate Emile Heskey who started reaping the plaudits on Merseyside and elsewhere.

Owen may have been tentatively on the comeback trail, but he was rapidly becoming the forgotten man of Anfield.

Was the boy who had the world at his feet ever going to reclaim the magic which had swept him onto the back pages of the international press with his breathtaking goal against Argentina and made him, briefly, the world's most wanted footballer?

Summer strengthening was beginning to pay off before the seemingly jinxed Owen was accidentally booted in the head in the penalty box at Derby and the necessary brain scans which followed set back his recovery programme from the lurking hamstring and tendon woes.

Before that setback, Owen's start had hinted that his story was far from over yet. He hit two against Southampton, a glittering hat-trick against Aston Villa, and England's goal in the high-profile 1-1 draw in France.

Owen paid a heavy price for his injury in the east midlands. In the next 15 games in which he figured, he found the net only three times, his recuperation period seemingly too short to cope with the intensity of the top-flight game.

But those who knew Owen best did not worry. They knew Owen, in his uniquely dramatic way, would come back in style.

Michael Owen has proved once again that he should never be under-estimated or written off.

After his stunning hat-trick against Germany in Munich, England's top striker is back where fate ought to have decreed he had a permanent place: on top of the football world.
(Mark Staniforth/PA Sport)

FACTFILE

1979: Born December 14 in Chester.

1991
Breaks Ian Rush's goal-scoring record for Deeside Primary Schools in North Wales after he had previously beaten Gary Speed's record as the youngest player to play for the team.

1995
Beats the goal-scoring record of Kevin Gallen and Nick Barmby for England Under-15s.

1996
Helps Liverpool win the FA Youth Cup in May. Signs professional terms with Liverpool on 17th birthday after he had joined them as a schoolboy.

1997
May 6: Scores on his first-team debut against Wimbledon at Selhurst Park.

September 9: Sent off playing for England Under-18s against Yugoslavia.

September 16. Scores on European debut against Celtic in UEFA Cup.

October 5: Invited to train with England senior squad.

November 18: Nets his first senior hat-trick against Grimsby in the Coca-Cola Cup.

December 17: Scores on his debut for England Under-21s.

1998
February 2: Named in Glenn Hoddle's senior squad for the first time.

February 11: Becomes youngest England international this century when he starts against Chile.

February 14: Scores his first Premiership hat-trick against Sheffield Wednesday.

April 10: Sent off against Manchester United after scoring equaliser.

Finishes season joint-top scorer in the Premiership with 18 league goals.

May 27: Becomes youngest England goal-scorer when he nets the only goal against Morocco in Casablanca.

May 31: Named in England's World Cup squad of 22.

June 22: Scores after coming on as substitute against Romania but England lose 2-1.

June 30: Scores a sensational goal against Argentina before England bow out of France 98 on penalties.

December 13: Named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, one day ahead of his 19th birthday.

1999
April 14: Liverpool announce Owen is out for three months because of hamstring and tendon injuries suffered in 0-0 draw at Leeds two days earlier. Owen is therefore ruled out of England's friendly against Hungary in Budapest on April 28 and Euro 2000 qualifiers at home to Sweden on June 5 and away against Bulgaria on June 9.

August 28: Makes his comeback as a substitute at home to Arsenal.

September 18: Scores twice as he completes 90 minutes for the first time this season at Leicester, but the day was marred when he was elbowed by Matt Elliott.

December 28: After eight straight starts, he was withdrawn at home to Wimbledon with an unrelated hamstring injury. Liverpool lost both matches he missed.

2000
May: Scores against Brazil in 1-1 draw at Wembley.

June: Named in Kevin Keegan's Euro 2000 squad.

September 2: Comes on as substitute against France in Paris and scores equaliser in 1-1 draw.

2001
February: Omitted from Liverpool's Worthington Cup final against Birmingham. Watches the whole game from the bench as his side win on penalties.

May: Scores twice in the final seven minutes as Liverpool come back from the dead to beat Arsenal 2-1 in the FA Cup Final at the Millennium Stadium.

Plays, but does not score, as Liverpool complete a cup Treble when they beat Alaves in extra-time to win the UEFA Cup. Nets in the final Premiership game of the season as Liverpool beat Charlton 4-0.

August 8: Begins the new season with a hat-trick in the Champions League qualifier against FC Haka.

August 12: Scores in the 2-1 win over Manchester United in the Charity Shield at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

August 18: Nets both goals as Liverpool beat West Ham 2-1 at Anfield on the opening day of the 2001/2002 Premiership campaign.

August 24: Scores in the 3-2 win over Bayern Munich in the UEFA Super Cup.

September 1: A hat-trick helps England to an historic 5-1 win over Germany in the World Cup qualifier in Munich.

September 5: Scores the first goal in England's 2-0 win over Albania at St James Park.

September 6: Arguably the best sports paper in Europe, the Italian daily La Gazzetta dello Sport has already decided that Michael Owen will receive its vote for European Footballer of the Year.

September 11: Michael scores his and Liverpool's first Champions League goal ever in the 1-1 match against Boavista at Anfield.

September 22: Limping off the ground with a hamstring injury when Reds beat Tottenham 1-0 at Anfield.

September 23: A scan on Michael Owen's hamstring injury confirmed the Liverpool striker will miss England's final World Cup qualifier against Greece at Old Trafford on October 6. 
The scan revealed a slight tear in the hamstring in Owen's left leg and means Liverpool's top scorer could miss six crucial matches for his club.

September 26: Michael Owen signs a new four-year contract with Liverpool.

December 9: Michael Owen ended third in BBC Sports Personality of the Year for 2001. David Beckham came first with British yachtswoman Ellen MacArthur as runner-up. 

December 14: Liverpool swept the board at World Soccer magazine's annual awards.
Michael Owen edged out England team-mate David Beckham in the world player of the Year award, while Gerard Houllier took manager of the year and Liverpool won the team award.
Liverpool are the first club to top all three categories in the 19-year history of the awards.

December 17: Michael Owen has been named European Footballer of the Year. 
The Liverpool and England striker becomes the first English winner of the award since Kevin Keegan in 1979. 

December 29: Michael Owen joined the Liverpool greats as the England striker made it a century of goals with a dramatic equaliser in a 1-1 Upton Park draw.

December 30: Owen named in French L'Equipe's World Team of the Year, together with three other Premiership players.

2002
April 16: Michael Owen was today named as stand-in England captain for tomorrow night's friendly against Paraguay at Anfield.
The Liverpool striker will fill in for England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson's regular skipper David Beckham.

November 17: Owen announced today that he is going to become a father.
His girlfriend, Louise, is four months pregnant.

2003
February 27: Michael Owen equalled Ian Rush's European goalscoring record for Liverpool as the Reds set up a "Battle of Britain" quarter final with a 2-0 victory over Auxerre at Anfield.

March 2: Owen scores the second goal when Liverpool beat Manchester United 2-0 in the Worthington Cup Final in Cardiff.

March 29: Michael Owen has vowed to “carry on scoring” for his country after reaching the 20-goal mark during the 2-0 win over Liechtenstein in Vaduz.

August 3: After Real Madrid sign Robinho and Julio Baptista, Owen admits he has had "brief dialogue with three or four Premiership clubs".

August 8: Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd admits he has had "discussions" with Real over the possibility of signing Owen.

A Real Madrid spokesman confirms Newcastle have expressed interest, as have Manchester United. The Red Devils denied having any contact with Real.

August 24: Owen expresses desire to return to Liverpool if he cannot start the season in Real Madrid first team. If the transfer cannot be finalised in time he has agreed to go to Newcastle on one-year loan.

August 30: Owen signs four-year deal with Newcastle.

Thor Zakariassen ©