- Michael Owen spoke exclusively to Read Man Utd and Read Liverpool
- Named two Manchester United icons in dream five-a-side team
- The England hero is a massive fan of the pair
Michael Owen has included two Manchester United icons in his ultimate five-a-side team. The iconic striker gave a star-studded lineup featuring more Red Devils than Liverpool players.
The ex-England forward spent three years at Old Trafford and won the Premier League title under Sir Alex Ferguson in 2011. He was one of the most potent goal scorers in English football, a box-in-the-box who boasted terrific pace and clinical finishing.
The heights of Owen’s career came at Liverpool, where he rose through the club’s youth ranks before becoming a hero in front of the Kop. In 2001, he became just the fourth Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or.
Michael Owen’s Ultimate Five-a-side Team
Several players who finished behind Owen in the Ballon d’Or rankings that year feature in his ultimate five-a-side team. That includes his longtime teammate Steven Gerrard.
Speaking exclusively with Read Liverpool and Read Man Utd, Michael Owen, the official UK ambassador for Casino.org, a trusted comparison website highlighting the best online casinos for UK players, said:
“Van der Sar, Rio Ferdinand, Steven Gerrard, Zinedine Zidane, and Ronaldo Nazario.”
Owen played alongside all five during his career, including Van der Sar during his spell with United. The Dutch goalkeeper was one of the best in the club’s history and only cost a mere £2m from Fulham.
Van der Sar made 266 appearances across competitions for the Red Devils, keeping 135 clean sheets. He wrote his name in the club’s history books with a heroic performance in the penalty shootout win over Chelsea in the 2008 Champions League final.
Owen not only played with Ferdinand at club level but also for England as part of the Golden Generation. While the Three Lions failed to win a trophy, they were one of the best nations in world football at the time.
Ferdinand was a Rolls-Royce at the back, just as talented on the ball as he was off of it. He made 455 appearances and scored the winner in Sir Alex’s final game in charge at Old Trafford.
Owen on ‘Brilliant’ Van der Sar and Ferdinand
This isn’t the first time Owen has named both Van der Sar and Ferdinand in a dream five-a-side team. He did so back in May 2020 when speaking on the BBC’s Savage Social podcast.
Owen even pointed out the likes of Iker Casillas and David Seaman but still selected Van der Sar. He said:
“In goal I would have to have Van Der Sar. He was absolutely brilliant… Iker Casillas was good at Real Madrid, David Seaman was very good when I first got into the England team.”
Owen also considered his former Liverpool teammates Sami Hyypia and Jamie Carragher for the defensive position. But he couldn’t look past Ferdinand:
“Then it is tricky, plenty of good centre-halves. Sami Hyypia and Jamie Carragher were talented, John Terry was amazing. I think Rio Ferdinand was a Rolls Royce – he’d probably be the defender.”
Owen’s time at United was short but sweet as it finally handed him a much-deserved Premier League title. He did so with two greats who he clearly feels are among the best to have represented the club.
