FRANCE 98 – General Media News Template

England striker Michael Owen World Cup’s youngest player of the major nations in the 1998 World Cup after the deadline for squads was passed on Wednesday.

England coach Glenn Hoddle has predicted greatness for the 18-year-old but not necessarily at France 98.

On Wednesday, the Liverpool sensation added to his long list of sharpshooting records when he became the youngest scorer in England history in their 1-0 win over Morocco.

At just 18 years and 164 days, Owen took the name of Tommy Lawton out of the record books as he streaked away onto Steve McManaman’s through ball.

However this is not that surprising for a player who once scored 92 in a season as a schoolboy.

Admittedly Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o Fils is only 17, having been born on March 19 1981, but Owen is the youngest of the major nations. Back in March, Hoddle’s assertion that Owen was not “a natural scorer”  brought disbelief from those who heard him. Now, however, Hoddle is qualifying those remarks, making it clear that he sees Owen claiming his place alongside the all-time greats. “When I said he wasn’t a natural goalscorer it was because I was thinking of players like Gerd Muller, Gary Lineker and Ian Rush, people who kept on scoring season after season,” said the England coach. “He will become one, I think, but he isn’t one at the moment. He won’t be until he does it season in and season out. But there’s a good chance he will.” 

The big question is whether Hoddle will decide to plunge Owen in at the deep end in France, or allow him to make his entrance from the sidelines, elbowing Teddy Sheringham out of the way. Four years ago the Brazilian bench in the USA was the home for a young striker most people now know – Ronaldo.

He did not play as Romario and Bebeto stole the headlines, but there is no chance of Owen taking a similar watching brief this time round. “Nobody ever said he wouldn’t be in the squad, but I don’t think we were ever going to give him enough international experience before France – you can’t do that by taking a pill,” said Hoddle. “We’ll certainly get him that experience by the next World Cup or the European Championships.” 

Owen was born on December 14 1979, in the north western town of Chester, son of professional footballer Terry who played for Chester and Rochdale after a brief spell at Everton.

In 1994 he bettered Kevin Gallen and Nick Barmby’s joint goal-scoring record for England Under-15s. Two years later he had signed professional forms for Liverpool and helped the youth team win the FA Youth Cup.

In May 1997, he made his first-team debut for Liverpool, coming on as a substitute to score in a 2-1 defeat at Wimbledon. A month later he scored three goals in five games as England Under-20s reach the second round stage of the World Youth Championships in Malaysia. In August of the same year, he started the new season in the first team in the absence of the injured Robbie Fowler and scored in a 1-1 draw, again at Wimbledon.

Then in October last year he was called up to train in the England squad before making his senior international debut for England on February 2 this year.

He broke Duncan Edwards’ 43-year-old record as the youngest England player this century. Edwards was 18 years and 183 days old when he played against Scotland in 1955 – Owen was 18 years and 59 days when England played Chile.

Then last Wednesday came the first senior goal for England in the 1-0 win over Morocco in Casablanca, although he had been knocked out earlier in the game after a collision with the Moroccan goalkeeper.