Michael Owen makes X explode after his tweet (Credits: Imago Images)
Michael Owen is arguably one of the greatest strikers in Liverpool history. However, his reputation with the Reds fans is something to be sceptical of.
Nevertheless, that doesn’t detract from the talent teenage Owen showed when he broke onto the scene during the late 90s Premier League era.
His later stages as a footballer may come across as disappointing, but the early Michael is arguably still one of the most gifted English footballers in history.
Many experts have compared the Chester native to another well-celebrated Englishman, Wayne Rooney. From the perspective of an overall career trajectory, Rooney definitely comes out on top considering the achievements he made in his latter years.
Interestingly enough, Owen seems to agree with this claim, but another comment he made on X (formerly Twitter) blew up the internet.
On the 5th of September, BBCMOTD on X (formerly Twitter) asked fans, “Who was the better player at the age of 17, Michael Owen or Wayne Rooney?”
Owen, just like his punditry, clapped back with stats in just under 12 hours, claiming his crown as one of the most talented English footballers the world has ever seen.
“At 17 I scored 18 PL goals (winning the Golden Boot), Wazza scored 6. At 18 I again scored 18 goals (again winning the Golden Boot and coming 4th in The Ballon d’Or), Wazza scored 9.”
“In our opening 7 seasons, Wazza didn’t outscore me once (117 goals v 80). In which time I became the 2nd youngest Ballon d’Or winner ever. Injuries hindered me from then on while he sustained his level. Therefore, he’ll go down as a better player than me. But, at 17, please……”, said Michael Owen via X (formerly Twitter).
Quiz: Can you name these 10 Liverpool players from the 2000s?
The teenage battle, Michael Owen vs Wayne Rooney
Even experts can’t deny Owen’s breakthrough at such a tender age. Michael Owen was just 18 when he won the Premier League Golden Boot, making him the youngest winner of the award to date.
Despite being one of the Premier League’s all-time top scorers, Wayne Rooney never won the award, not because of a lack, but because of his versatile role as a footballer.
Owen then went on to win the Ballon d’Or, as he still stands as the second youngest player and the youngest English player to win the award.
Michael remains the only English player to win the Ballon d’Or in the 21st century, whereas Rooney never had his chances. Interestingly, their career achievements also parallel their play style to some extent.
Mikey was an explosive No.9 who peaked and left early, whereas Wazza remained steady and consistent, making contributions to the team beyond goals.
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