Former Liverpool Striker Michael Owen Speaks Out On 2001 Ballon d'Or Win

Owen reflects on 2001 success

Former England striker Michael Owen believes his 2001 Ballon d'Or victory never received the respect it deserved. Owen claimed the award at just 22 years old after an extraordinary season.

He won the individual trophy following a memorable year with Liverpool. The Merseyside club secured a cup Treble by winning the League Cup, the UEFA Cup, and the FA Cup. During that same year, Owen established a reputation as the most lethal striker in the country. He also scored a famous hat trick in England's 5-1 World Cup qualifying win against Germany in Munich.

Beating out top competition

Until Harry Kane won the award on Monday, Owen was the last Englishman to take home the prize. He also remains the only player to win the trophy while playing for Liverpool.

To win the top individual honour in football, Owen beat out a remarkable list of legends. He finished ahead of Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry, Raúl, Rivaldo, David Beckham, and Luis Figo.

In an interview with FourFourTwo, Owen said he does not think his victory was met with much fanfare in his home country. He explained that the award was never that important in England at the time. However, when he was in Spain, people told him he was a hero for winning it. He mentioned that he is still immensely proud of the accomplishment.

Looking back at the achievement

Owen revealed that he still has a photo saved on his phone showing the voting points system from 2001. The photo shows who finished second, third, fourth, and further down the list. He described looking at that list as awe inspiring.

As a child, Owen did not just want to be a footballer. He wanted to be the best footballer. He noted that winning the award feels better now than it did during his playing days. At 22 years old, he viewed it as just another trophy and felt he had to win it again.

His triumph came before the award gained massive global profile during the era of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Those two rivals dominated the voting throughout the late 2000s and 2010s, capturing the attention of fans worldwide.

What it means for the next game

Racing Santander vs Real Madrid (LaLiga, Sun, 01 Nov): Racing Santander win 13%, draw 15%, Real Madrid win 72%; expected goals 1.28 to 3.04. Our safest pick: Real Madrid draw no bet.

Liverpool vs Arsenal (Premier League, Sun, 01 Nov): Liverpool win 32%, draw 28%, Arsenal win 40%; expected goals 1.19 to 1.38. Our safest pick: Under 3.5 goals.