OWEN HAS PLENTY OF ADMIRERS
By Paul Walker, PA Sport
It doesn't take a genius to work out that up on Merseyside, the punters reckon there's been a whole lot of rubbish spouted about who is the best striker in the FA Barclaycard Premiership.
Sven-Goran Eriksson knows who it is, and Michael Owen will always be his first pick striker.
Owen is the player money can't buy, unless someone stumps up more than £80million - and that is a conservative estimate in some minds.
Gerard Houllier knows who is the best, too. That is why Owen is always ahead of Robbie Fowler in the Liverpool pecking order.
And an old master, arguably the best British striker ever - Ian Rush also knows a top-notch finisher when he sees one.
Owen will return to the England fold against Sweden after missing the Greece match with his latest hamstring injury, and he'll be the number one when England head to the Far East for the World Cup Finals next summer.
Rush, a Liverpool scoring ace of magnificent pedigree, believes Owen is the best in the world.
He said: "There's no doubt in my mind about that. He's the best out and out goalscorer in the business.
"His form has been frightening, and there's no way in the world that Liverpool would sell him.
"But his value on the transfer market would break all records and make him the most expensive player in the world."
Owen's goalscoring record speaks for itself at present.
He's been scoring goals everywhere he plays.
Internationals, Europe, Premiership, friendlies, tours. The lot. If you include every match Owen has played since half way through last season when the scoring streak really started, the figures are stunning.
In all matches, and that includes the pre-season tours, he has netted 29 goals in 30 matches. If you take out the friendlies it's 25 in 24.
For Liverpool, all matches, it's 25 in 25. This season, club and internationals, it's 16 in 16.
A strike rate like that is priceless, and Eriksson will be banking very heavily on it next summer.
More to the point, Owen knows his worth, his form and his value.
He has recently signed a new four-year contract which makes him the highest paid player in Liverpool's history.
On that goal instinct, Owen just says: "I feel that every time I get the ball at the moment, I am going to score."
Defenders are now making his life very hard. You only had to watch the way the Dortmund boys double-marked him during the Champions League matches. Sometimes they treble-marked him.
But Owen was still able to twist, turn and fashion openings. And with that sort of defensive strategy, so many other team-mates were free of markers.
Owen said: "When I started I was able to take defenders by surprise because they didn't know much about me. But they don't let you get away with that for long."
Most importantly of all, Eriksson knows Owen's worth. He said: "He's quick and clinical and has a record of scoring in important games.
"He always seems to be there when it matters and he's been like that since he was 17."
The problem for defenders the world over is that Owen is still only 21, with ten more years at least of top class finishing to come. He's not going away for a long time.
By Paul Walker, PA Sport
It doesn't take a genius to work out that up on Merseyside, the punters reckon there's been a whole lot of rubbish spouted about who is the best striker in the FA Barclaycard Premiership.
Sven-Goran Eriksson knows who it is, and Michael Owen will always be his first pick striker.
Owen is the player money can't buy, unless someone stumps up more than £80million - and that is a conservative estimate in some minds.
Gerard Houllier knows who is the best, too. That is why Owen is always ahead of Robbie Fowler in the Liverpool pecking order.
And an old master, arguably the best British striker ever - Ian Rush also knows a top-notch finisher when he sees one.
Owen will return to the England fold against Sweden after missing the Greece match with his latest hamstring injury, and he'll be the number one when England head to the Far East for the World Cup Finals next summer.
Rush, a Liverpool scoring ace of magnificent pedigree, believes Owen is the best in the world.
He said: "There's no doubt in my mind about that. He's the best out and out goalscorer in the business.
"His form has been frightening, and there's no way in the world that Liverpool would sell him.
"But his value on the transfer market would break all records and make him the most expensive player in the world."
Owen's goalscoring record speaks for itself at present.
He's been scoring goals everywhere he plays.
Internationals, Europe, Premiership, friendlies, tours. The lot. If you include every match Owen has played since half way through last season when the scoring streak really started, the figures are stunning.
In all matches, and that includes the pre-season tours, he has netted 29 goals in 30 matches. If you take out the friendlies it's 25 in 24.
For Liverpool, all matches, it's 25 in 25. This season, club and internationals, it's 16 in 16.
A strike rate like that is priceless, and Eriksson will be banking very heavily on it next summer.
More to the point, Owen knows his worth, his form and his value.
He has recently signed a new four-year contract which makes him the highest paid player in Liverpool's history.
On that goal instinct, Owen just says: "I feel that every time I get the ball at the moment, I am going to score."
Defenders are now making his life very hard. You only had to watch the way the Dortmund boys double-marked him during the Champions League matches. Sometimes they treble-marked him.
But Owen was still able to twist, turn and fashion openings. And with that sort of defensive strategy, so many other team-mates were free of markers.
Owen said: "When I started I was able to take defenders by surprise because they didn't know much about me. But they don't let you get away with that for long."
Most importantly of all, Eriksson knows Owen's worth. He said: "He's quick and clinical and has a record of scoring in important games.
"He always seems to be there when it matters and he's been like that since he was 17."
The problem for defenders the world over is that Owen is still only 21, with ten more years at least of top class finishing to come. He's not going away for a long time.
