FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile

Michael Owen was just 18 when he etched his name on to the minds of football fans around the world with one of the goals of the 1998 FIFA World Cup™.
It was a moment that took the breath away as Owen, with the insouciance of youth, raced through the Argentina defence and fired a bullet shot into the top corner of Carlos Roa’s goal as if scoring a wonder goal in the FIFA World Cup finals was the most natural thing in the world. England lost that second-round match, but Owen was now a global star.

In the intervening eight years, he has experienced many things – trophies with Liverpool, transfers to Real Madrid and Newcastle United, and injuries which have lessened fractionally his once-lightning speed – yet throughout this time he has not stopped doing what he started back in 1998, scoring for England.

Owen grew up supporting Everton, the club where his father Terry once played, yet it was with their local rivals Liverpool that he learnt his trade. His goals helped Liverpool win the 1996 FA Youth Cup and the following year he made a goalscoring debut in a Premiership match at Wimbledon, aged 17 years and 143 days.

Owen’s form in first full season in the Premiership was remarkable, the youngster netting 18 times in 36 league appearances, and it earned him his first England cap just nine months after his Liverpool debut, against Chile in February 1998. His first goal for England followed not long afterwards, in a friendly against Morocco on the eve of France 98.

He started the finals that summer on the bench but after his scoring turn as a substitute in a 2-1 defeat by Romania, then manager Glenn Hoddle could no longer ignore his claims. Eight days later, with that goal against Argentina, the whole world knew about him.

Owen has enjoyed plenty of high points since in an England shirt. In September 2001 he struck a hat-trick as England beat Germany 5-1 in a FIFA World Cup qualifier in Munich. The following summer he found the net against Denmark and Brazil as England reached the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals in Korea/Japan.

He was on target three times in qualifying for Germany 2006 and in his final appearance of 2005 scored two headers against Argentina to give Sven-Goran Eriksson’s side a morale-boosting 3-2 friendly win – and leave himself with 35 goals from 75 international appearances. Only three players have recorded more goals for England.

Owen’s finest hour to date at club level came in 2000/01 when his two late goals won the FA Cup for Liverpool against Arsenal. He also picked up League Cup and UEFA Cup winner’s medals that season and ended the year by becoming the first Englishman since Kevin Keegan 22 years earlier to collect the European Footballer of the Year award.

By the time Owen left Liverpool in 2004 to join Real Madrid, he had scored 118 times in 216 league appearances for the Reds. He maintained his impressive strike rate in Madrid, where despite making only 20 league starts, he claimed 13 goals. However, frustration at his limited opportunities meant Owen returned to England in August 2005 to join Newcastle United.

Owen, whose principal pastime away from football is horse-racing, has had an injury-hit year at Newcastle but after recovering from a broken metatarsal, he will be raring to go in Germany.

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UEFA EURO 2004™ player's profile

A prolific scorer for both club and country, Michael Owen is one of the most recognisable figures in world football. Possessing blistering pace and an unerring eye for goal, Owen first made an impact at the 1998 FIFA World Cup when, as an 18-year-old, he scored one of the goals of the tournament against Argentina.

National team
His international debut in February of that year saw him become the youngest player of the last century to represent England. Owen scored one other goal at France 98, against Romania, and was on target against the same opponents at UEFA EURO 2000™. The striker was back on form at the 2002 World Cup, despite not being fully fit, where he scored against Denmark and Brazil and again proved Argentina's nemesis by winning a penalty which paved the way for an England victory.

UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying
Celebrated his 50th international cap with a captain's performance against Slovakia, scoring twice. Owen scored three other goals but missed the draw in Istanbul which guaranteed England first place in Group 7.

Club
Quite brilliant in Liverpool FC's FA Youth Cup triumph in 1996, the Chester-born forward signed as a trainee that December and made a scoring first-team debut against Wimbledon FC in May 1997. The PFA Young Player of the Year in 1998, 2001 was also a watershed in the career of Owen: after helping Liverpool to success in three knockout competitions, including the FA Cup in which he scored both goals in a 2-1 final victory against Arsenal FC, Owen struck a momentous hat-trick against Germany in England's famous 5-1 away victory, and ended the year with the European Footballer of the Year award. In 2002/03 Owen recorded his 100th Premiership goal during a hat-trick against West Bromwich Albion FC and also scored as Liverpool defeated Manchester United FC in the League Cup final.

2003/4: Another fruitful campaign in which Owen scored 19 goals in 38 appearances despite going through a barren spell in winter. The spring returned to his step in February and he finished the season looking sharp in front of goal and injury-free.

Did you know?
Owen once purchased five houses in a street so he could live near his parents and siblings.

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BBC's UEFA EURO 2004 player's profile

Still only 24, Owen is England's first-choice striker and feared by defenders around the world.

Against Slovakia he became the youngest player ever to make 50 England appearances, and marked it with two goals to take him past the likes of Kevin Keegan and Mick Channon in the goalscoring standings.

He has not been at his prolific best for Liverpool this season but has been plagued by shin, ankle and thigh problems.

Sven-Goran Eriksson, though, remains a big admirer of the player - always his first-choice striker whenever fit.

©bbc.co.uk 2004. All rights reserved.