‘Can only imagine’ – Michael Owen names one thing that would have ended Wayne Rooney debate

Michael Owen can only imagine what his trophy cabinet would have looked like if he had access to modern sports science in his heyday. The former England striker won the Ballon d’Or at the age of 21, but injuries saw his career end early, just 12 years later, at Stoke City. Owen’s injury at Leeds in April 1999 was his third hamstring problem in six monthsGetty Owen has since revealed that the injury that set the scene for the fitness issues that plagued his career actually took place at age 19. Two seasons before he was crowned European Footballer of the Year, the ex-Liverpool star tore his hamstring against Leeds in April 1999. Premier League players would now undergo surgery, but it was decided that rehab would suffice for Owen to avoid a lengthy layoff. During an interview with talkSPORT.com, via betting site BetSelect, Owen was asked whether the advancements in sports science would have helped prevent his chronic injuries if he broke through today. “A hundred per cent. Absolutely,” the 45-year-old replied. “One, preventing them, but two, when they go wrong, then the way of fixing them would be vastly different nowadays than what they were in my day. “So yeah. Absolutely. No question.” The choice for Owen not to go under the knife after that injury at Elland Road meant he just allowed his hamstring to reattach. For the remainder of his career, the 89-cap England star was playing with three tendons in one of his hamstrings and two in the other. His right leg also contained a ruptured hamstring that reattached itself in the wrong position, which caused an imbalance when he ran. Owen still managed to win the Ballon d’Or after he’d suffered the injury that changed the course of his career He became just the fourth Englishman -and most recent – to land the awardGetty Owen’s injury history For a player who relied heavily on his raw pace, the former Real Madrid forward was forced to change his playing style. However, the knock-on effect of his imbalanced hamstrings also meant one of his limbs was stronger than the other. Thus, Owen’s weaker leg increased the pressure on other parts of his body in order to try and fit the demands of elite-level football. A metatarsal problem plagued him at Newcastle before he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury during the 2006 World Cup. That latter issue only accelerated the gradual decline Owen had been enduring, with several groin and calf injuries also needling him. Owen said if you copy his injury-free years for another 10 years, then ‘I can only imagine what would have happened’ Owen vs Rooney The Chester-born attacker recently caused a stir by claiming that he was a better talent at 17 than England teammate Wayne Rooney. “We can only judge [my career] on what I did,” Owen told talkSPORT. “And people saw what I did in the few years that I had when I was injury-free. “Those things included winning a Golden Boot in the Premier League at 17 and 18 years old and being the second youngest ever Ballon d’Or winner. “So if you take those five years, and then say, let’s just copy that for another 10 years, then I can only imagine what would have happened.” Owen and Rooney were part of the Man United team that won the Premier League in 2011Getty - Contributor What have others said about the debate? Scott Minto, who played against both players during his time at West Ham, recently claimed Owen made a mistake in instigating the comparison between him and Rooney. Speaking on the Saturday Session, he said: “Look, where do I go with this? Because I’ve got the utmost respect for Michael Owen. “I’ve said on several occasions – even recently, when we’ve talked about Arsenal needing a goal scorer – I said, an example I use is played against Michael Owen. “We played really well at Anfield (2002/03 season), he had probably five touches of the ball, two of them went in the back of the net. “We’re on the coach on the way home, thinking what the heck happened there, that’s what a world-class striker can do. Owen and Rooney played together for their countryGetty Images - Getty “But why, first of all, why are you getting involved, Michael? Honestly, you don’t need to, you really don’t need to, you’re better than that. “Let everybody have their own arguments, you’ve got your decision made in your own mind and rightly so. “And Wayne Rooney will be thinking the opposite as well, and it’s obviously – not just subjective – but a tribalistic thing. “I’m sure Liverpool fans are thinking one thing, United fans will think another.. “But look, what I would say is, in my personal opinion, that Michael Owen, while he was a true world-class goal scorer, I think Wayne Rooney’s one of the greatest players this country has ever produced.”

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‘Can only imagine’ – Michael Owen names one thing that would have ended Wayne Rooney debate

Michael Owen can only imagine what his trophy cabinet would have looked like if he had access to modern sports science in his heyday.

The former England striker won the Ballon d’Or at the age of 21, but injuries saw his career end early, just 12 years later, at Stoke City.

Owen’s injury at Leeds in April 1999 was his third hamstring problem in six months

Owen has since revealed that the injury that set the scene for the fitness issues that plagued his career actually took place at age 19.

Two seasons before he was crowned European Footballer of the Year, the ex-Liverpool star tore his hamstring against Leeds in April 1999.

Premier League players would now undergo surgery, but it was decided that rehab would suffice for Owen to avoid a lengthy layoff.

During an interview with talkSPORT.com, via betting site BetSelect, Owen was asked whether the advancements in sports science would have helped prevent his chronic injuries if he broke through today.

“A hundred per cent. Absolutely,” the 45-year-old replied.

“One, preventing them, but two, when they go wrong, then the way of fixing them would be vastly different nowadays than what they were in my day.

“So yeah. Absolutely. No question.”

The choice for Owen not to go under the knife after that injury at Elland Road meant he just allowed his hamstring to reattach.

For the remainder of his career, the 89-cap England star was playing with three tendons in one of his hamstrings and two in the other.

His right leg also contained a ruptured hamstring that reattached itself in the wrong position, which caused an imbalance when he ran.

Owen still managed to win the Ballon d’Or after he’d suffered the injury that changed the course of his career

He became just the fourth Englishman -and most recent – to land the award

Owen’s injury history

For a player who relied heavily on his raw pace, the former Real Madrid forward was forced to change his playing style.

However, the knock-on effect of his imbalanced hamstrings also meant one of his limbs was stronger than the other.

Thus, Owen’s weaker leg increased the pressure on other parts of his body in order to try and fit the demands of elite-level football.

A metatarsal problem plagued him at Newcastle before he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury during the 2006 World Cup.

That latter issue only accelerated the gradual decline Owen had been enduring, with several groin and calf injuries also needling him.

Owen said if you copy his injury-free years for another 10 years, then ‘I can only imagine what would have happened’

Owen vs Rooney

The Chester-born attacker recently caused a stir by claiming that he was a better talent at 17 than England teammate Wayne Rooney.

“We can only judge [my career] on what I did,” Owen told talkSPORT.

“And people saw what I did in the few years that I had when I was injury-free.

“Those things included winning a Golden Boot in the Premier League at 17 and 18 years old and being the second youngest ever Ballon d’Or winner.

“So if you take those five years, and then say, let’s just copy that for another 10 years, then I can only imagine what would have happened.”

Owen and Rooney were part of the Man United team that won the Premier League in 2011

What have others said about the debate?

Scott Minto, who played against both players during his time at West Ham, recently claimed Owen made a mistake in instigating the comparison between him and Rooney.

Speaking on the Saturday Session, he said: “Look, where do I go with this? Because I’ve got the utmost respect for Michael Owen.

“I’ve said on several occasions – even recently, when we’ve talked about Arsenal needing a goal scorer – I said, an example I use is played against Michael Owen.

“We played really well at Anfield (2002/03 season), he had probably five touches of the ball, two of them went in the back of the net.

“We’re on the coach on the way home, thinking what the heck happened there, that’s what a world-class striker can do.

Owen and Rooney played together for their country

“But why, first of all, why are you getting involved, Michael? Honestly, you don’t need to, you really don’t need to, you’re better than that.

“Let everybody have their own arguments, you’ve got your decision made in your own mind and rightly so.

“And Wayne Rooney will be thinking the opposite as well, and it’s obviously – not just subjective – but a tribalistic thing.

“I’m sure Liverpool fans are thinking one thing, United fans will think another..

“But look, what I would say is, in my personal opinion, that Michael Owen, while he was a true world-class goal scorer, I think Wayne Rooney’s one of the greatest players this country has ever produced.”