Michael Owen has stirred up quite a bit of debate with comments about himself and Wayne Rooney at the age of 17, but was the former British striker really a young talent? Mirror football writers made their choice…
Michael Owen is undoubtedly. Wayne Rooney was quite diplomatic. But which of the Premier League’s biggest young phenoms in the last 30 years has really been No. 1?
Former Liverpool star Owen appeared on the scene at Anfield in the late 1990s as a precocious teenager. Rooney then took place in the same way a few years later on the other side of Merseyside in Everton. While Rooney continued to make the overall careers of the two forwards more successful, Owen feels his first year performance was much greater, despite a recent interview with Rio Ferdinand spurring discussion.
And he certainly backed up his claims on social media. He is the last British to win the Ballon d’Or. The second Ballon d’Or had been hindering me from then on.
read more: Wayne Rooney responds to Michael Owen with a discussion about who is better at 17 years oldread more: Michael Owen said, “Please!”
Rooney, a record-breaking scorer for Manchester United, spoke the Wayne Rooney Show himself and gave him his answer.
He states: “Me and Michael were very different players. They had different attributes. Michael Owen at 17 and 18 was incredible. I was on the street and pretended to be him.
“Unfortunately, he was injured so perhaps he couldn’t adapt his game as much as I could. I think his comments are fair. Of course, he’s going to get himself back.
“But Michael Owen doesn’t judge himself against Michael Owen because I actually admired and had the joy of playing with him.”
So do both men believe they are better? But who was really there? We asked the mirror football writers what they thought…
Alex Richards
Owen was a standout scorer at such a young age, but there was no doubt about it. Within a year of the Premier League breakthrough, he was Liverpool’s first choice, reaching the England team for the 1998 World Cup.
He is right in everything to say in numbers – he greatly helps his arguments, but he greatly helps his arguments, but seeing those early numbers in pure form certainly draws him in a grand light. However, soccer is not just about numbers on the page. That was never the case.
The truth is that there are valuable comparisons. But the truth may also have been drawn to Owen’s scoring ability at ages 16, 17, 18, 19 at 18, but Rooney was not the best of the poachers, but rather a completely, more physical, more technical, more creative and offensive tour.
I’ll leave it here. At the age when Owen made his debut for Liverpool and scored his first goal in the Premier League, about 17 years, five months of Rooney (gifting or taking weeks) was too good for him to ignore, so he started for the UK in the crucial Euro 2024 Qualifier vs. Turkey.
Sammead
Close, but I’m heading towards the side of the Rooney. They both had an incredible moment at age 18 – Owen scored against Argentina in 1998, while Rooney lit up the Euro 2024 with the Three Lions.
I think Rooney was certainly a great player. Owen might argue that he is a better scorer. Rooney dragged Everton’s team, a mid-table outfit, but often means they can compete beyond the level. He had a more rounded game, so it was not unfair to say that Owen never could do what he did against Arsenal in October 2002.
Owen had a huge impact, and his fierce pace was horrifying, but he came to a more rounded team and had no fanbase eyes pleading for him to save them at such a soft age. He could be an emergency with something like Robbie Fowler.
Ben’s
This is a rare argument, and I hardly even give you an answer because people are insisting in one way or another. “What a ridiculous question, isn’t it?”
And for me, it was just as easy. Owen was a phenomenon, but yes, he became a parody where Ringo throws habits and hates the film, but as a young player it seemed unstoppable.
Watching him pass a defender who had no problem sending him to line K is one of my strongest football memories. Compared to the players I saw on wolves at the time, it was like watching another sport. And his records were stacked, scoring 18 times in the season, and legally ageing to the point where he didn’t watch a movie with 18 ratings.
But then I was stopped on my own truck, remembering Rooney’s incredible performance against England when he was 17 years old.
Ultimately, with this very specific question, I sway to Owen…just. But in the words of the man who began the argument, Ferdinand: “People try to make comparisons… just have fun!”
Ori Gump
I might be a bit biased in this argument seeing Wayne Rooney look like an Everton teenage superstar – including *that *that *that *the *that *the *that *the *that *the *that *the *that *the *that *the *that *the *that *the *that *the *that *the *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *that *th
I think it’s like comparing an apple to an orange. Because, as Rooney correctly says, they are different players with very different techniques. But if we have pure abilities and techniques, I think you have to go with Rooney. What he could do at such a young age, the executions and the way he played with so many joys and talents – it was unparalleled and still today.
Of course, Owen was a much more prolific scorer at a similar age, maintaining that consistency throughout his Liverpool career, bringing together the Ballon d’Or, and Rooney had no control over it. However, Rooney also broke into United’s first team while competing in team locations with things like Cristiano Ronaldo and Rood Van Nicetay.
Rooney was rarely an out-of-out striker for United, but he made things happen. Under Ir Alex Ferguson, he was the centre of everything the team was doing and an epic figure. He has been so since being introduced to football fans, but he is often seen as a benchmark that young players aspire to.
So I’m going with Rooney.
read more: Wayne Rooney’s two-word We open the final verdict when Donald Trump “falls asleep”read more: Wayne Rooney reveals I’m a celebrity stance and tells the ITV boss to his nightmare trial
Dan Marsh
One of my early football memories is that Michael Owen is on the way to Argentina, so he’s old enough to remember his exploitation in Liverpool. The statistics and praise Owen piqued in his chat with Rio Ferdinand cannot be argued in any sense. But Rooney will do things in football almost every week. For me, Owen was a better striker and Rooney was a better all-round player. And as he says, the two were very different players. If you had to push me for a decision, I’ll go to Rooney at the point.
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