Michael Owen’s glittering career as one of England’s most gifted strikers is often remembered for its breathtaking early years, but the former Liverpool star now admits one pivotal moment might have changed everything. The Ballon d’Or winner, who became the face of English football as a teenager, believes advances in sports science today would have spared him the injuries that derailed his prime.
At just 19 years old, Owen tore his hamstring during a clash against Leeds United. The injury, which would now likely be treated differently, was managed conservatively. Surgery was not an option at the time, and instead Owen was sent through rehabilitation before returning to action as quickly as possible. That choice, he now concedes, came at a heavy cost.
“A hundred per cent. Absolutely,” Owen told talkSPORT.com, via BetSelect. “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.”
According to Owen, the muscle reattached itself in the wrong position, creating an imbalance that left one leg weaker than the other. That weakness forced him to change how he played, robbing him of the explosive pace that had terrified defenders across Europe. In turn, it led to a chain reaction of further problems, from groin and calf strains to serious knee injuries.
The Debate: Owen vs. Rooney
The resurfacing of Owen’s struggles has fueled renewed debate about how his career measures up to his former England teammate Wayne Rooney. Recently, Owen himself sparked conversation by suggesting he was the more talented of the two as a teenager.
“We can only judge [my career] on what I did,” Owen explained. “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.”
It is a bold claim, and not everyone agrees. Former West Ham defender Scott Minto praised Owen’s natural finishing but argued Rooney had the more complete career, adapting his game over time and enjoying sustained success at Manchester United. Fans, unsurprisingly, are divided along the fault lines of their club loyalties, with Liverpool and United supporters reigniting one of English football’s favorite arguments.
A Career of What-Ifs
Owen eventually retired in 2013 at the age of 33. For many, his career felt incomplete given the phenomenal start he made. In addition to his hamstring troubles, a broken metatarsal during his spell at Newcastle United and a devastating ACL tear at the 2006 World Cup compounded his injury record.
These setbacks created a sense of unfulfilled potential. At his peak, Owen was widely regarded as one of the deadliest strikers in Europe, known for his blistering acceleration and clinical finishing. Yet, unlike Rooney, he was never able to adapt to a different role once his pace began to fade.
Despite those limitations, Owen’s record remains impressive. He scored 40 goals in 89 appearances for England and enjoyed silverware with Liverpool, including the famous 2001 treble of the FA Cup, League Cup, and UEFA Cup. He also lifted a Premier League title with Manchester United in 2011, though by then he was no longer a central figure.
Talent, Timing, and Legacy
Comparisons between Owen and Rooney will likely continue for years, but they highlight more than just two contrasting careers. They reflect how timing, medical progress, and even sheer luck can define a player’s legacy. Rooney entered a football world more prepared for elite sports science, benefiting from improved recovery protocols and tailored training regimes. Owen, by contrast, was the last of a generation that often had to play through pain without the level of medical sophistication available today.
For Owen, the debate circles back to the injury that altered his trajectory as a teenager. Without it, he believes he could have sustained the extraordinary level he set as a prodigious forward breaking records in the Premier League and on the international stage.
The truth may never be known. What is certain, however, is that both Owen and Rooney left indelible marks on English football. One dazzled with natural finishing instincts that lit up the late 1990s and early 2000s, while the other evolved into a complete forward who carried Manchester United and England through a decade of dominance.
For Owen, though, the biggest “what if” remains personal. Had surgery been an option in 1999, the footballing world may have seen a very different story unfold.
