Michael Owen has admitted that one decision early in his career might have rewritten his entire story in football.
The former Liverpool and England striker, who won the Ballon d’Or at just 21, believes advances in modern sports science could have prevented the injuries that cut short his peak years.
Owen tore his hamstring at 19 during a match against Leeds. At the time, surgery was not considered. Instead, he went through rehab and returned quickly.
Looking back, he says that choice had long-term consequences.
Speaking to talkSPORT.com, via BetSelect, Owen said: “A hundred per cent. Absolutely. 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.”
He revealed his hamstring reattached itself in the wrong position, leaving one leg weaker than the other. That imbalance forced him to alter his game and eventually led to more problems, including groin, calf and knee injuries.
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What is the Michael Owen vs. Wayne Rooney debate?
Owen’s struggles have resurfaced in discussions comparing him with former England teammate Wayne Rooney. Recently, he suggested he was the more talented teenager.
“We can only judge [my career] on what I did,” Owen said. “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.”
Not everyone agreed. Former West Ham defender Scott Minto praised Owen’s finishing but argued Rooney had the more complete career.
Fans have since reignited the debate, with Liverpool and Manchester United loyalties adding spice to the argument.
A career of what-ifs
Owen retired at 33, a career that felt shorter than many expected for a striker of his caliber. The metatarsal break at Newcastle and the ACL tear at the 2006 World Cup only deepened the what-if narrative.
Yet even with injuries, he scored 40 goals for England and remained one of Europe’s most feared forwards in his prime.
The Owen vs. Rooney debate may never be settled. One was a pure finisher, the other a complete forward.
But for Owen, it all circles back to that teenage injury and the decision not to operate. That, he says, changed everything.
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