Even the briefest glances at footage of Michael Owen’s debut for Liverpool confirms how exceptional he was at 17. Wimbledon led 2-0 at Selhurst Park in May 1997, Owen pulled one back with 16 minutes remaining and immediately raced with the ball back to the centre spot, urging Wimbledon to restart. Liverpool needed the points to get into the Champions League. They failed but those of us present were very aware that a starlet was born.
Owen’s reputation as the best teenager in the country, and one of the best in Europe, was actually well-established by then. I watched him at Lilleshall as a 16-year-old and his composure, pace and precise finishing were all there. He was well-coached by Steve Heighway in the academy at Liverpool and well-supported by team-mates and Roy Evans, eventually Gerard Houllier, when stepping into the first team.
Even though the nation sighed and seethed at England going out on penalties at France 98, they were going mad for Michael. He’d famously cut through Argentina’s defence with all the skill of a surgeon wielding a scalpel. Owen regularly explains that goal as simply an exercise in chess, making moves to draw Argentinian pieces where he wanted them. He wanted to get Roberto Ayala and Jose Chamot in the optimum position so he could sprint past them, and then lift the ball back across Carlos Roa and in.