England icon Michael Owen has admitted that the major injury he suffered at the 2006 World Cup made him 'less of a player' upon his return. The former striker ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during England's group stage match against Sweden, an injury that derailed his career and forced him to adapt his playing style.
The Injury That Changed Everything
Owen burst onto the international scene in the 1998 World Cup with a stunning solo goal against Argentina, a moment replayed every tournament. However, his final World Cup appearances eight years later marked a turning point. Starting all three group games for England in 2006, Owen's right foot gave way just four minutes into the match against Sweden, leaving him in agony on the turf. He was stretchered off, and the diagnosis confirmed a ruptured ACL.
Owen flew home from Germany as England exited in the quarter-finals on penalties to Portugal. He missed a full year of action, returning to the England squad in June 2007, but his comeback was too late to help England qualify for Euro 2008. He scored three goals in four qualifiers but played only twice more for England, retiring from international football in 2008 with 40 goals in 89 appearances.
A Changed Player
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Star Sport, Owen admitted he was not the same player after the injury. He said: 'I was possibly regressing a little bit before that injury because I'd had huge hamstring problems early on in my career. By the time I was 22, 23, I was probably starting to slowly regress. But that injury in the World Cup, being out for a season, and then trying to come back—I definitely came back a slower player and a different player. If you were going to cut my career into halves, you'd probably say that was the moment.'
Owen clarified that his knee is fine to this day: 'I can play football, I can go on runs, I can do anything. It was just ageing and muscles and having had a lot of hamstring problems, then getting a little bit older and slowing down. The knee was fine, but I do think that year out made me definitely less of a player when I came back.'
Adapting His Game
Despite the setback, Owen went on to sign for Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson in 2009, helping the club win the Premier League in 2011 and the League Cup the year before. However, he had to change his game dramatically from the sensation who burst through at Liverpool. 'When I was a youngster, I was a goal scorer but so much more—I would be out wide, beating people, making runs, all over the place. From about 25 onwards, I just didn't have that elasticity or power in my muscles anymore. Despite how hard you train, that energy and strength of being young goes. I had to change my game to just link play and get in the box, which wasn't my game. When I was younger, I used to scare defenders with my speed and finishing. Once I lost my speed, I just had to be a fox in the box.'
