Michael Owen is undoubtedly one of the greatest Premier League strikers of all time. After all, how many others have won the Ballon d’Or?
Playing for the likes of Liverpool, Newcastle United, Manchester United, and Stoke City, the English forward scored 150 goals in the English top flight. His best years came in the first stages of his career when he played his football at Anfield.
At Liverpool, he won the Golden Boot twice – in the 1997-98 and 1998-99 seasons – as he established himself as the most exciting young striker in the country. However, at the turn of the century, a new forward arrived in England and he would soon prove to be more than Owen’s match.
That player would be Thierry Henry.
Owen Stunned By Henry’s Talent
“He’s just bigger, faster, more skilful…’
The Frenchman arrived at Arsenal and after a slow start to his career, failing to score in his first eight games, the talented forward eventually began to find his stride. From that moment on, he would go on to prove himself as the best footballer in the Premier League for a number of years.
Owen would later admit that he was blown away by Henry’s talent. He even went as far as to say he simply ‘could not match’ what the speedy striker was doing in north London. He explained:
“Henry, for me, was a total game changer at the time. Playing in that era, I was looking at him and thinking: ‘If I want to be the best, if I want to win the Golden Boot… How am I ever going to compete with that?’
“He’s just bigger, faster, more skilful… He was everything. Whereas a lot of the other [top] players there were amazing, don’t get me wrong, but you always felt, ‘Yeah I can score the goal he scored’. Thierry Henry, you just couldn’t match.”
Owen certainly wasn’t wrong about that, as Henry would claim the Premier League Golden Boot in 2001-02, 2003-04, 2004-05, and 2005-06. Not only that, but he got his hands on the league trophy on two occasions, an achievement the Liverpool icon failed to do.
Related
Michael Owen: Alan Shearer Was ‘Inches’ From Quitting Newcastle For English Rivals
The former English strikers do not have a good relationship having fallen out at Newcastle.
|
Premier League Stats |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Player |
Owen |
Henry |
|
Games |
326 |
258 |
|
Goals |
150 |
175 |
|
Assists |
31 |
74 |
|
Titles |
0 |
2 |
|
Golden Boots |
2 |
4 |
Owen Named Henry as Best Premier League Player Ever
‘How do you compete?’
Despite being somewhat envious of Henry’s talent, Owen certainly hasn’t been shy of praising the Frenchman. He even went as far as to say the Arsenal player is the best footballer to ever grace the Premier League, while also adding:
“I got into the Premier League at 17 and won the Golden Boot and then won it again at 18. Then Thierry Henry came over, and I looked at him and thought, ‘I’m never going to win one of those again’. Those players were just wow, how do you compete?”
Stats via Premier League
