Is Michael Owen still good enough for the Premier League?

Former-England striker Michael Owen is currently on the lookout for a new club after being released from Manchester United earlier this summer.

The 32 year-old spent three years at Old Trafford, where his stay was interrupted by constant injury troubles.

Opportunity

The former-Liverpool wrote on his Twitter: “If a good opportunity doesn’t come my way then so be it.
I know I can still bang them in at the top level. I proved that nearly every time I played for Manchester United.”

Injury

Michael Owen has had the same problem throughout his career. The number of injuries he has sustained throughout his career, but specifically in the last few years has been ridiculous. He has struggled to string a run of games together.

Unfortunately he is now regarded as one of the most injury-prone players ever to grace the British game. He should be remembered for his talent and goalscoring ability, but to some he will be remembered for spending lots of time on the treatment table.

The injuries are not Owen’s fault. He can’t help picking up injuries and he is one of the best natural finishers the British game has seen.

Highs

Like a lot of players that break into first teams at a young age Michael Owen experienced most of his highs earlier on in his career. In the last few years he has struggled to get into the United first team because of his aforementioned injury problems and the high calibre of player he was competing with for a starting berth.

Owen has never really fully fulfilled his true potential. He had the potential to be considered a truly great player in the game but never quite got there.

England

The striker will still be considered a great England striker. Owen is fourth in the all-time leading goalscorers list for the Three Lions with 40 goals for his country in 89 appearances. Only Bobby Charlton, Gary Lineker and Jimmy Greaves have scored more goals for England.

Had he been able to stay fit and injury-free Owen surely would have broken Charlton’s record of 49 goals to become England’s record ever goalscorer. Unfortunately he couldn’t keep himself off the treatment table.

Who knows what a fully-fit Michael Owen could have achieved for both club and country. I’m sure he would have been regarded as a far greater player than he is at the moment.

Linked

Despite his injury problems Michael Owen is still being linked with a move to various top flight clubs. The likes of Stoke and Everton are believed to be chasing the former-Liverpool man. However, his wages could prove a stumbling block for both clubs, as the pair both have strict wage structures.

A pay-as-you-play deal could prove an ideal solution to this problem though. Owen had a similar sort of arrangement at United and if he wants to play in the top flight he may have to take another similar deal.

Signing Michael Owen would be a gamble for any club considering his injury history but if he signs a pay-as-you-play deal then they will have nothing to lose.

Asset

I believe that Michael Owen still has a lot to offer, if he stays fit but that’s his main problem. I feel like a broken record stating this but that’s the crux of Michael Owen. An exceptional finisher when fully fit.

I don’t think at 32 he’s suddenly going to stay fit and injury free. However, he would definitely be an asset to a Premier League club as an impact sub. That way he would have less chance of getting injured and could still score goals.

Owen has said that he won’t drop down the divisions. If he doesn’t find a Premier League club he may be forced to retire. It would certainly be a waste of his natural abilities and it would be a pity to see such talent squandered.

Can Michael Owen still cut it in the Premier League?