Andy Goldstein’s jaw could as effectively have fallen by way of the ground.
The talkSPORT Drive host couldn’t consider his ears when English soccer nice Michael Owen revealed he had no thought what the Ballon d’Or was when he first realised he gained it.
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Owen grew to become the fourth Englishman to take out soccer’s prime particular person accolade when he gained the award in 2001, becoming a member of an unique membership alongside Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton and Kevin Keegan.
He was additionally the primary Englishman to have gained the Ballon d’Or for the reason that second of Keegan’s two triumphs in 1979.
The 45-year-old completed with 176 factors, 36 greater than second-placed Raul and 52 greater than Oliver Kahn, who was third within the rankings.
Owen gained the award after a standout 2000/01 marketing campaign on a person and staff foundation with Liverpool.
The ahead slammed residence 24 objectives in 46 video games throughout all competitions for the Reds as they gained the treble of the League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup.
To the surface world, Owen’s feats made him a severe contender for the Ballon d’Or.
However for the person of the second, who discovered a number of weeks forward of the official announcement he would win the Ballon d’Or because of a cellphone name from then-Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier, he was none the wiser.
When requested by talkSPORT Drive co-host Darren Bent whether or not he ever thought he was in competition for the Ballon d’Or, Owen left the studio shocked.
“I by no means did as a result of I by no means even knew what it was,” Owen mentioned on talkSPORT.
“Again in these days, it was by no means in our press.
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“When Gerard Houllier phoned me and mentioned, ‘You’ve got gained the Ballon d’Or’, I am like, ‘What’s that, gaffer?’
“Overseas, it is so huge. It is solely simply cottoned on right here for the final 5 or ten years.”
Owen added: “Then I needed to go away and look the winners up. It shortly sunk in how huge it was.
“However when he (Houllier) first talked about it, I had no thought.”
Owen confirmed he nonetheless has his Ballon d’Or protected in his possession.
He revealed it sits in a cupboard at his residence together with all of his different medals, trophies and soccer memorabilia.
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Owen added his Ballon d’Or trophy ‘sits on a bit plinth and slowly spins.’
The previous Liverpool marksman stays the final Englishman to have gained the award, with Frank Lampard coming the closest when he completed second within the rankings for the 2005 Ballon d’Or.
Within the following years, an Englishman has completed within the prime three of the Ballon d’Or rankings simply as soon as.
That was Jude Bellingham, who ended up third within the 2024 Ballon d’Or rankings behind Actual Madrid teammate Vinicius Jr and Manchester Metropolis midfielder Rodri, who gained by simply 41 votes.
However given the emergence of teenage sensation Lamine Yamal coupled with fellow superstars like Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe amongst others, Owen feared it might be a while earlier than one other Englishman wins the identical award.
“A few years in the past in case you requested me that, I would have mentioned Phil Foden and Bellingham,” Owen mentioned.
“I believed we had three or 4 possibilities. However I am not so assured now.
“I am unsure there’s an actual standout that I believe, ‘Wow, he is likely one of the greatest three, 4, 5 gamers on the earth.’
“I do not suppose we have a kind of in the meanwhile.”
But when there’s to be an English Ballon d’Or winner, Owen laid out what they should do if they’re to comply with swimsuit.
“You clearly must have an distinctive season in a staff that wins an distinctive trophy or a number of trophies,” Owen mentioned.
“If Actual Madrid go and win the Champions League, then after all Jude Bellingham. However then he is acquired to be the standout.
“With different gamers like Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe, then it may be fairly difficult.
Michael Owen’s profession in numbers
Liverpool (1996-2004): 297 video games, 158 objectives, 51 assists
Actual Madrid (2004-2005): 45 video games, 16 objectives, 4 assists
Newcastle United (2005-2009): 79 video games, 30 objectives, two assists
Manchester United (2009-2012): 52 video games, 17 objectives, three assists
Stoke Metropolis (2012-2013): 9 video games, one objective
England (1998-2008): 89 video games, 40 objectives
Premier League Participant of the Season (1997/98)
Two-time Premier League Golden Boot winner (1997/98, 1998/99)
Ballon d’Or winner (2001)
FA Cup winner (2000/01)
League Cup winner (2000/01, 2002/03, 2009/10)
Premier League winner (2010/11)
UEFA Cup winner (2000/01)
BBC Sports activities Persona of the 12 months (1998)
