When asked to choose Michael Owen’s career highlight, the average football fan will likely recall one of two recollections. liverpool, First, his career-defining single goal for England against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup, which catapulted the then-teenage striker to global stardom overnight.
If not that strike, you’re more likely to remember his hat-trick as the Three Lions won 5-1 away to Germany in September 2001.
A few months after that treble, on this day 23 years ago, Owen became the first Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or since former Liverpool striker Kevin Keegan in 1979. Since then, none of his fellow citizens have been able to follow in his footsteps. Reported By Echo.
However, Owen’s worldwide exploits did not garner him such a trophy. Rather, it was his performances for the Reds during the most memorable campaign of his career, when they won an unprecedented treble in the 2000/01 season.
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Owen, Gerard Houllier’s primary striker, scored 24 goals in 46 games that season as Liverpool won the League Cup, FA Cup, and UEFA Cup, as well as qualifying for the Champions League for the first time. Meanwhile, his club record in 2001 alone saw him score 31 goals in 49 games and win five different titles.
However, he may not have accomplished any of this if Inter Milan had had their way, with Owen revealing he came close to signing for the Serie A club in 2000.
“I was close to joining Inter Milan around the turn of the century, and they came in for me,” recalled the 45-year-old, who celebrated his birthday on Saturday. “But I was content at Liverpool at the moment and did not pursue the conversations any further.
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