Michael Owen is one of the most football figures in the world as the English retiree performed with various well-known and highly-rated clubs including: Real Madrid, Liverpool and Manchester United.

The Englishman received a vast amount of individual accolades and prizes with the Ballon d’Or being the most popular which Michael Owen won back in 2001 when he was performing with Liverpool.

Owen received more votes than: Raul, Rivaldo, ZinedineZidane, Oliver Kahn, David Beckham, Francesco Totti, Andriy Shevchenko, Thierry Henry and Luis Figo as all of those players were also nominated as the best player of Europe for that respective year.

Winning that award was an incredibly special feat for Michael Owen as the Englishman reached the peak of his career and the Ballon d’Or is an individual recognition that every football player wants to reach.

That’s one of the dreams of every single player in the world of football and Michael Owen is one of the handful players that has actually reached that feat but Owen also has another dream which he is going to accomplish within the near future.

This dream is being able to make his horse racing debut in a charity event which is scheduled to take place on November 24 of 2017.

Michael Owen is a horse enthusiast; he even owns race horses and has even bred a few of his own but unfortunately for the Englishman, Owen could never learn to ride or race in competitions during his playing days but since he retired over 3 years ago, the Ballon d’Or winner has enough time to focus on training and learn the ins and outs of horses and horse racing.

It appears like Owen has been training and he is eager for the upcoming charity event to arrive so that he can achieve one of his other lifelong dreams.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has criticized the atmosphere at Old Trafford.

He said that the fans should improve on that front and make sure they inspire the team. He said that he is expecting a good atmosphere for the match against Liverpool and he hopes that the fans will create something that will boost the team on the pitch.

However, he admitted that the players also have a role to play in inspiring the fans. He believes that if they produce an inspiring performance and play with determination, the fans will get behind the team and encourage them. He admitted that there were matches this season that the players did not produce enough on the pitch and this is why the fans have been quite lethargic at times.

He said that things have changed a lot in recent weeks and that the players are playing much better on the pitch. He believes that fans should improve as well and provide a great atmosphere at Old Trafford to help inspire the team.

He said that the players are ready to face Liverpool and that they are ready to fight on the pitch. He said that Liverpool would play a high tempo football as usual and it is up to them to silence them. He said that he has the necessary players to play against Liverpool and that they will be going for a win against their bitter rivals.

Jose Mourinho said that his team is still in the title race and that they are on a good run at the moment. He believes that the team can still improve and that the young players such as Martial and Rashford will become even better as the season goes by.

He said that the match against Liverpool will be a great one and that fans should expect their players to give their best on the pitch.

Liverpool football legend Michael Owen as rubbished hopes of Arsenal so early this season, saying that the club could end trophyless this term.

Owen claims that the North London club does not have the quality to win the Premier League – despite currently being in the top four – and Champions League – despite their decent run so far.

Arsenal played a 2-2 draw with French side Paris St Germain on Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League at the Emirates. Owen opines that he expects the club to yet come up short when it matters in both top competitions this season.

“Many in the media were suggesting the Gunners are inconsistent after their fortunate draw with PSG in midweek – I couldn’t disagree more.

“Arsenal are excellent against inferior teams but are just short of the very best not only in Europe but in the Premier League. They are a good side with quality players but just not enough to win the Premier League or Champions League,” the former Real Madrid player wrote in his football column.

The sensational comments would draw into debates with football lovers but considering that those two titles are what any Arsenal fan really wants, and what the club’s management would really want to see come May next year, then Coach Arsene Wenger may as well end tropyless, yet again.

Arsenal are set to meet Bournemouth this weekend in the Premier League as they bid to end their ‘November curse’ on a good note. October saw the club rise to joint leaders in the Premier League with Manchester City but the league quickly changed hands twice with Chelsea now sitting atop the standings. A trophyless campaign will worsen the stats of Wenger after disapproval ratings reached all-time high at the start of the season.

As a pundit, it’s Michael Owen’s job to express his thoughts about teams, players and just about anything in the world of football and the Englishman certainly does it as he also voices his predictions on a regular basis concerning upcoming matches, generally in the Premier League.

Michael Owen has recently spoken about 2 players in Manchester United as there is 1 of them who has impressed the former Liverpool player but there is another 1 who has not had a very impressive stay in Old Trafford.

Marcus Rashford is the player that Owen has recently praised as Rashford is only a 18 year old performer who has already made a huge impact in Manchester United as the youngster has scored 3 goals in 5 appearances, he is one of the top goal-scorers in the entire squad of Jose Mourinho and for such a young player, this is something that is worth to mention.

Owen is certain that Rashford has what it takes to become a top player in Manchester United as the 36 year old pundit said: “Hopefully there is loads more to come from him. He’s hit the ground running and it’s always interesting to see how people adapt to making their debut

“His came in during strange circumstances, after an injury in the warm-up to Anthony Martial, so he won’t have had any time to think about it and, when that happens, you just go and do what you always do and he’s not looked back.

Unfortunately, the same thing cannot be said about Morgan Schneiderlin as Owen stated that the 26 year old player does not have what it takes to be a regular starter in the squad of Jose Mourinho. Morgan Schneiderlin is a 26 year old French midfielder who has struggled to make an impact in Old Trafford and Michael Owen believes that other players deserve to be called up instead of Schneiderlin and truth be told, Schneiderlin has only made 1 appearance so far out of the 7 opening matches of the season.

Michael Owen hung up his boots and retired from playing football at a competitive level back on May of 2013 and the Englishman later went on to become a pundit.

Not many people consider Owen to be a serious pundit as he is consistently being critiqued for some of his analysis, comments and predictions, nonetheless it hasn’t stopped him from doing his work as the Englishman is always voicing his thoughts in relation to upcoming matches any ongoing event that is taking place.

When players decide to retire, becoming a manager or a pundit is something not very surprising as more and more retirees are doing it.

The 36 year old Englishman has recently started a new sports venture as he partnered up with Mark Wright in business which is aimed to help out the development of Football Academies in China.

The former Liverpool player, Michael Owen said: To improve the future of the National Team you have to start at grassroots level. Our program will provide children in China with the opportunity of learning about football and the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and improved fitness. This is a strategic plan that will provide an ongoing stream of talented youngsters from which the clubs and the China national team will undoubtedly benefit.”

China has never won the World Cup title but they do have intentions of creating a ‘’World Football Superpower’’ that is able to compete against the top national football teams and have a realistic chance to win a World Cup by the year 2050.

Owen is hoping that this new business venture will help out China in the long run and become a football titan in a few years’ times.

Michael Owen recently inaugurated a sports facility at Abbey Gate College. It would help increase sports opportunities for the students.

Owen along with the head teacher, Tracy Pollard and Maria Heywood the governor of the college, inaugurated the venue. Owen is a notable figure, having been a footballer for England as well as a former Premier League player. He is currently a pundit with BT Sports.

The new building was unveiled by him as the celebrity being present to honor the occasion. The building is associated with Chester and Saighton College and would have showering facilities and changing areas along with multi-purpose activity spaces as well as a cardiovascular gymnasium.

Tracey Pollard stated that the opening of the sports pavilion along with teaching facilities is an important landmark in the progress of the college. With better facilities for sports and related activities for the pupils, it is expected that a culture of being healthy and active would be promoted among all age groups of students.

Michael Owen has been in the news for other reasons as well. For instance, when the semi finals were up with matches between Portugal and Wales and France and Germany, he was asked his opinion as to how the match would go and that definitely influenced the sports betting circles. Being the brand ambassador for the tournament, Owen was one of the major voices of the games. He held onto the belief that Germany would win the cup as they did last time in the World Cup they won about two years back. He stated that he was impressed with the Portuguese but the way the team started off initially led to much belief being waived, due to their inconsistent performance. Indeed, his comments influenced much of the betting that happened around the league games.

Manchester United and Newcastle United legend, Michael Owen, predicted that Liverpool would win the encounter against Villarreal CF.

The game played much earlier this week saw The Reds defeat their Spanish opposition by three goals to nothing.

Liverpool played Villarreal at Anfield in the second leg of the Europa League semi-final tie on Thursday evening after having lost by a lone goal in Spain. They played with the mindset of going all out for the victory, attacking the Yellow Submarine from the onset.

The former Liverpool striker Owen had said that The Reds will get the better of Villarreal at home and progress to the final of the Europa League.

He wrote on Betvictor.com:

“Liverpool, despite the changes in personnel, disappointed me on Sunday at Swansea but there is something magical about .

“If the Yellow Submarines score Liverpool have to get at least three but they got four against Dortmund in the last round and I expect the Kop to play its part.”
The talented pundit also added in the footnote:

“Michael’s recommendation: Liverpool to qualify at 5/4.”
Many had hoped for an early goal from the Spanish club to set the path difficult for Liverpool at home just like the match against Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals of the Europa League. The Merseyside outfit did not underestimate Villarreal as they scored in the first half before going on to add more goals that eventually crushed the spirits of the Spanish side. Daniel Sturridge had a hand in the three goals during the encounter. Liverpool will face Sevilla in the final at St Jakob Park.

Former Liverpool striker and pundit Michael Owen has declared that Daniel Sturridge might consider Liverpool if he is not the first choice striker.

Sturridge was left out of the game against Villarreal in the Europa League.

The England striker was replaced by Firmino as Jurgen Klopp favored a more defensive approach to the game but this move has fanned news that Daniel Sturridge might be leaving in the summer.

Owen insists that Daniel Sturridge considers himself as a world-class striker and would want that the manager gives him the starting role every match. He added that if he decides to leave Liverpool, there will be no shortage of teams that will be interested in signing him. Owen added that Klopp will have to make a decision about Sturridge’s future soon.

Daniel Sturridge did feature in the team that played against Swansea on Sunday, but there were clear signs of disappointment on his face when he headed directly to the tunnel after being replaced. However, Michael Owen believes that this is not a good indication, and we will have to wait for the remaining games of the season.

Michael Owen believes a lot will depend on whether he is selected this Thursday for the return match against Villarreal. With Liverpool, who have to attack Villarreal, it will be interesting to know whether Klopp will pick Daniel Sturridge in his starting line-up. If he is not selected for the game, then it would be a confirmation that he is no longer a valuable member of Klopp’s team.

Indeed, since his arrival, the German manager has always favored DivockOrigi ahead of Daniel Sturridge, and it is only because of injury that Sturridge is being considered for the striker role.

Former defender Michel Salgado claims that his former club Real Madrid are making the mistake of being too dependent on pace in order to win matches.

The Spanish club have been disappointing this season and things have not improved much even after the arrival of Zinedine Zidane. This has led to questions about the squad not being good enough to win the league title. Even though Madrid have some of the best players in the world like Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, there seems to be a balance missing from the squad on several occasions.

Salgado feels that the club has made a mistake in terms of buying players, as there have been too many purchasers focused on speed and other attacking qualities. Salgado also played in a team that was highly imbalanced. This led to Barcelona sweeping up a number of trophies during the glory days of Ronaldinho. The two giants of Spanish football will be coming together for the latest El Clasico this weekend. Madrid have an opportunity to reduce Barcelona’s advantage in the league title to just seven points. Even though it does not improve their chances of winning the league, it will help preserve some pride going into the summer.

“If we beat them it’s going to be good for our state of mind, for the collective belief ahead of the Champions league. It would bring great belief to the team. Sometimes one game changes everything in a season – it’s happened to me before and I hope it comes against Barcelona. Real Madrid have the players but it is not just now that they are missing something, it has been a long time. We know our style of football in last four years has been counter attack, and we lose control of games for long periods which is really bad for our team,” said Salgado.

Roy Hodgson is expected to call up a number of young players from Everton and Tottenham for his England squad at Euro 2016.

The former Liverpool manager seemed quite confident about utilising young players during the qualification status. They repaid his faith quite brilliantly after getting England to the competition with a 100% record. As a result, Hodgson is likely to continue the policy of developing the team for the future. This would mean calls for the likes of Ross Barkley, Harry Kane, Dele Alli, and John Stones. Two players from each team came up against each other in the recent meeting at Goodison Park.

Spurs and Everton played out a 1-1 draw. One of the former Tottenham players Aaron Lennon opened the scoring for Everton before Alli came up with the equaliser. Even though these were two dropped points for the top four chasing Spurs, it was always going to be a difficult place to get a win. Everton’s form in recent weeks has been inconsistent and they have been struggling for a top six finish. Despite the poor defensive record,Stones has been praised for his performances. The defender continues to be linked with a move to Chelsea after Everton resisted any lure to sell him in the summer.

Martinez reckons that the quartet could be the face of the national team in the future.”It was a joy to see so many English and British players in both sides with young ages with a lot of big roles in the game: Ross [Barkley], John Stones, Deli Alli and Harry Kane.It was a really good game between two teams not afraid to invest in young players.I think there is now such a good young group of players such as Ross Barkley, John Stones, Dele Alli and Harry Kane and they all offer something that is very, very different,” said Martinez.