Being a man in my twenties, my earliest memories of England in a major international championship are of Euro '96, the year 'football came home' to our fair shores.
That England side boasted some exceptional talent; Steve McManaman, Darren Anderton, Paul Gascoigne and Teddy Sheringham - to name but a handful - had superb tournaments.
But the hero for the Three Lions was arguably Alan Shearer. The Newcastle United striker had endured a barren spell prior to the competition, but after finding the net in the opening group game against Switzerland, Shearer was in unstoppable form and picked up five goals in five games, before penalty shootout heartbreak saw England exit the Euros at the hands of Germany.
Fast forward two years to the World Cup of 1998 in France and Shearer finds himself out-scored over the course of England's stay in the finals by an 18-year-old upstart named Michael Owen.
Owen had worked his way through the ranks quickly at Liverpool and exploded onto the domestic scene, before announcing himself to the world with a sensational individual effort against Argentina.
Now, in 2009, Owen finds himself at relegated Newcastle - via Real Madrid - with Shearer as his manager (well, sort of).
It now seems as though neither Owen nor Shearer will remain at the club next season however, with Owen in particular set to leave in order to continue playing in the Premier League.
But, despite several reports of interest from clubs in the top flight, there is hardly a clamber for the forward's signature. One can only assume this is due to his injury-hit stay at St James' Park and his lack of goals at the back end of this season, when they were crucial to The Magpies' survival.
In spite of this, Owen's goal record speaks for itself. I checked his official website for confirmation of statistics, but the severe lack of updates means I've had to fall back on the unreliability of Wikipedia. At club level, Owen has made 322 appearances and scored 160 goals.
His wage demands are said to be a stumbling block, though surely the desire for a move back to the top flight will see Owen swallow his pride and lower his expectations to at least a managable extent.
So, a free transfer for a player who is astonishingly just 29, adamant he is not injury-prone and is of a proven high calibre.
Any interested parties, feel free to browse through his brochure.
For further reading on Michael Owen, have a read of Phil McNulty's excellent BBC Sport blog.
Monday 15 June 2009
Thursday 11 June 2009
Rumour Round-up: Three Of The Best - Thursday 11 June 2009
The small matter of Real Madrid breaking the transfer record twice may have dominated this week - today in particular - but there's still been a fair share of gossip lining tomorrow's chip paper. Here's the best of the rest:
Yaya Toure Will Not Move To Arsenal Claims Agent - Independent
The Independent reports that Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure's agent Dmitri Seluk has stated his future lies away from The Emirates stadium - but he is likely to play in either Italy or England next season. The Ivorian has apparently received "better offers from other clubs."
Where could this better offer be coming from? Well, surprise surprise, Manchester City are rumoured to be long time admirers of Toure and they certainly have the funds to out-muscle Arsenal in the transfer market this summer.
Could the Toure brothers be set to unite at Eastlands? The Gunners have already lined up Belgian defender Thomas Vermaelen in a seemingly done deal, which could pave the way for Kolo's exit, though Arsene Wenger is unlikely to allow him to leave on the cheap.
Drogba Will Snub City - The Sun
Perhaps the only player since Kaka willing to tell Manchester City where to put their millions is, rather surprisingly, Chelsea's Didier Drogba. The Sun claims that sources close to the player have been told he is settled and wants to play in the Champions League next season.
This is the first summer in a while where Drogba has quickly turned his back on a move away from Stamford Bridge - in the past it has seemed almost certain that he would be leaving, due to his disillusionment or his falling out of love with the game altogether. Perhaps new manager Carlo Ancelotti has struck a chord with the striker.
And finally - more digital chip paper, this one....
David Villa Will Sign For Real Madrid - Chelsea's Chief Spanish Scout - Goal.com
Originally a story from Spanish publication Marca. Apparently, Chelsea's man in Spain, Juan Cruz Sol, has indicated that The Blues need not make a bid for Valencia striker David Villa, as he favours a move to Real Madrid, which could be imminent.
This looks like an all but confirmed deal. If Villa wants to remain in his homeland, Los Merengues are appearing to be the most likely option, as president Florentino Perez is throwing money around as though he has nowhere to keep it and Valencia are struggling financially.
Besides, wouldn't you want to play with Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo?
Yaya Toure Will Not Move To Arsenal Claims Agent - Independent
The Independent reports that Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure's agent Dmitri Seluk has stated his future lies away from The Emirates stadium - but he is likely to play in either Italy or England next season. The Ivorian has apparently received "better offers from other clubs."
Where could this better offer be coming from? Well, surprise surprise, Manchester City are rumoured to be long time admirers of Toure and they certainly have the funds to out-muscle Arsenal in the transfer market this summer.
Could the Toure brothers be set to unite at Eastlands? The Gunners have already lined up Belgian defender Thomas Vermaelen in a seemingly done deal, which could pave the way for Kolo's exit, though Arsene Wenger is unlikely to allow him to leave on the cheap.
Drogba Will Snub City - The Sun
Perhaps the only player since Kaka willing to tell Manchester City where to put their millions is, rather surprisingly, Chelsea's Didier Drogba. The Sun claims that sources close to the player have been told he is settled and wants to play in the Champions League next season.
This is the first summer in a while where Drogba has quickly turned his back on a move away from Stamford Bridge - in the past it has seemed almost certain that he would be leaving, due to his disillusionment or his falling out of love with the game altogether. Perhaps new manager Carlo Ancelotti has struck a chord with the striker.
And finally - more digital chip paper, this one....
David Villa Will Sign For Real Madrid - Chelsea's Chief Spanish Scout - Goal.com
Originally a story from Spanish publication Marca. Apparently, Chelsea's man in Spain, Juan Cruz Sol, has indicated that The Blues need not make a bid for Valencia striker David Villa, as he favours a move to Real Madrid, which could be imminent.
This looks like an all but confirmed deal. If Villa wants to remain in his homeland, Los Merengues are appearing to be the most likely option, as president Florentino Perez is throwing money around as though he has nowhere to keep it and Valencia are struggling financially.
Besides, wouldn't you want to play with Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo?
BREAKING NEWS: Manchester United Accept £80 million bid for Ronaldo
In a move that cuts short what would have been the sequel to last summer's unrequited love affair between Real Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United have accepted a bid of £80 million for the player from Real. There's no doubting it this time; it's reported on the club's official website.
Ronaldo has apparently again expressed his desire to leave and, a year later, it would seem that United are finally going to step out of his way.
The news comes off the back of yesterday's reports regarding Real president Florentino Perez, who spoke of the importance of maintaining a respectful, healthy relationship with the Champions League runners-up.
It would appear that an unconditional offer of £80 million has gone some way to rebuilding some bridges, leading to Old Trafford.
With Ronaldo almost certain to leave now, as personal terms are hardly going to prove a stumbling block for a player who has pined after a move to the Bernabeu, United are left with a gaping chasm at the club; love him or hate him, nobody could deny the importance of the man. United will need to do a spot of reshuffling, but with £80 million to spend, there's a number of different options at their disposal.
Real and United were set to do battle for the signature of Wigan's Antonio Valencia. The player must surely be Manchester bound now.
Valencia operates from the right wing in a far less advanced role to the one Ronaldo has adopted over the last two seasons, so this could lead to a slight change in shape for the club.
United can also now easily pay the £25.5 million asking price for Carlos Tevez. A fan favourite, Tevez looked bound for Manchester City, but this could change everything. At least now we'll find out if Sir Alex Ferguson really does want to keep the Argentinean on the red side of the city.
Alternatively, Fergie may wish to bring in another truly world class player. He has been a long time admirer of Lyon's young forward Karim Benzema, for example, who is capable of operating in a similar way to Ronaldo. Sir Alex has courted Benzema for some time; this injection of cash could bring the move forward to this summer.
Lots for Man Utd fans to think about now, then, but now this transfer saga looks like coming to an unexpected quick resolution, I may have to switch back to Eastenders.
Ronaldo has apparently again expressed his desire to leave and, a year later, it would seem that United are finally going to step out of his way.
The news comes off the back of yesterday's reports regarding Real president Florentino Perez, who spoke of the importance of maintaining a respectful, healthy relationship with the Champions League runners-up.
It would appear that an unconditional offer of £80 million has gone some way to rebuilding some bridges, leading to Old Trafford.
With Ronaldo almost certain to leave now, as personal terms are hardly going to prove a stumbling block for a player who has pined after a move to the Bernabeu, United are left with a gaping chasm at the club; love him or hate him, nobody could deny the importance of the man. United will need to do a spot of reshuffling, but with £80 million to spend, there's a number of different options at their disposal.
Real and United were set to do battle for the signature of Wigan's Antonio Valencia. The player must surely be Manchester bound now.
Valencia operates from the right wing in a far less advanced role to the one Ronaldo has adopted over the last two seasons, so this could lead to a slight change in shape for the club.
United can also now easily pay the £25.5 million asking price for Carlos Tevez. A fan favourite, Tevez looked bound for Manchester City, but this could change everything. At least now we'll find out if Sir Alex Ferguson really does want to keep the Argentinean on the red side of the city.
Alternatively, Fergie may wish to bring in another truly world class player. He has been a long time admirer of Lyon's young forward Karim Benzema, for example, who is capable of operating in a similar way to Ronaldo. Sir Alex has courted Benzema for some time; this injection of cash could bring the move forward to this summer.
Lots for Man Utd fans to think about now, then, but now this transfer saga looks like coming to an unexpected quick resolution, I may have to switch back to Eastenders.
Wednesday 10 June 2009
Rafa Responds
Faster than you can say 'firm challenge', the Javier Mascherano rumours come to an abrupt halt as Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez tells the club's website, in no uncertain terms, that his man is not for sale.
Some good quotes in this one; Rafa is on form. My personal favourite:
"He has a long contract and any club can forget about bidding for him. They can offer £40m or even £50m, we don’t want to sell."
I'm not a Liverpool fan, but if I were, that is exactly the sort of thing I would want to hear the head honcho saying.
You can't really blame Benitez for adopting such a stance; he has constructed one of the finest spines in World football from back to front in Carragher, Agger/Skrtel, Mascherano, Xabi Alonso and Gerrard and to disrupt the balance and chemistry achieved by them - regardless of the club's supposed financial plight - would be quite criminal.
Another of the aforementioned players set to be put through his paces this summer is Xabi Alonso, as he has been linked with the second coming of Florentino Perez at Real Madrid, who is using the bank's money to fund his Real revolution.
Rafa may just have been the architect of this one; if Xabi does express an interest in leaving it must surely be down in part to the Gareth Barry saga of last summer, in which the Basque man with a pitching wedge for a right foot seemed the forgotten man at Anfield. Barry has left Aston Villa for Manchester City now though
For my money, Liverpool are better off with the superior Alonso anyway.
Some good quotes in this one; Rafa is on form. My personal favourite:
"He has a long contract and any club can forget about bidding for him. They can offer £40m or even £50m, we don’t want to sell."
I'm not a Liverpool fan, but if I were, that is exactly the sort of thing I would want to hear the head honcho saying.
You can't really blame Benitez for adopting such a stance; he has constructed one of the finest spines in World football from back to front in Carragher, Agger/Skrtel, Mascherano, Xabi Alonso and Gerrard and to disrupt the balance and chemistry achieved by them - regardless of the club's supposed financial plight - would be quite criminal.
Another of the aforementioned players set to be put through his paces this summer is Xabi Alonso, as he has been linked with the second coming of Florentino Perez at Real Madrid, who is using the bank's money to fund his Real revolution.
Rafa may just have been the architect of this one; if Xabi does express an interest in leaving it must surely be down in part to the Gareth Barry saga of last summer, in which the Basque man with a pitching wedge for a right foot seemed the forgotten man at Anfield. Barry has left Aston Villa for Manchester City now though
For my money, Liverpool are better off with the superior Alonso anyway.
Tuesday 9 June 2009
Rumour Round-up: Three Of The Best - Tuesday 9 June, 2009
As we enter the evening and the rumour mill starts to slow slightly, now seems like an apt time to go through the pick of the bunch of today's transfer rumours. This is something I plan on delivering daily, purely for good natured, well intended banter's sake.
On with the slog then...
Cut Price van Nistelrooy Set To Join Harry At Spurs? - Mail Online
This is a story that emerged over the weekend and appears to have gathered further weight today, with dailymail.co.uk reporting Tottenham representatives have held further talks with Real Madrid over a move for the Dutchman.
Ruud van Nistelrooy has little to prove to anyone, especially when it comes to the Premier League, but he may fancy a move to White Hart Lane and a return to England's top flight. Spurs have a serious problem regarding stockpiling strikers, though; they already have Robbie Keane, Jermain Defoe, Darren Bent and Roman Pavlyuchenko. At least one would surely have to make way for a new arrival.
Fulham are also said to be interested and the prospect of Europa League football could appeal to the 32-year-old.
Masch Wants Barca Move - The Sun
Tabloid newspaper The Sun's online format has some quotes from Javier Mascherano's agent, Walter Tamer, in which he suggests the Argentine animal of a midfielder would welcome interest from Champions League winners Barcelona, leaving Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez more red than the Merseyside club's shirt.
This must surely be a no-go deal. 'Masch' is a great asset to Liverpool and is key to the balance of their midfield. Mr. Benitez is likely to put up one hell of a fight to prevent the transfer from coming anywhere close to fruition. Plus, agents and representatives say a lot of things; I'm sure a move to Catalan would line Mr. Tamer's pockets for years to come.
Carlos Tevez Edges Closer To Manchester City Move Reports - Goal.com
This is a story I was given to write for Goal.com today, as more and more reports from various UK media sources appeared to be under the impression that Carlos Tevez is on the verge of joining City. In fact, in the car with my brother last night it seemed as though radio station Talksport had more or less announced a deal was in place, though I didn't catch the whole report.
Ordinarily, Manchester United would probably shut the door on such a move without hesitation, but unfortunately for them, Tevez is not their player. It is no secret that United have baulked at the asking price for the Argentinean - reported to be around £25.5 million - despite their wish to keep the player.
All signs seem to be pointing to yes on this one, and The Man City money train rolls on.
On with the slog then...
Cut Price van Nistelrooy Set To Join Harry At Spurs? - Mail Online
This is a story that emerged over the weekend and appears to have gathered further weight today, with dailymail.co.uk reporting Tottenham representatives have held further talks with Real Madrid over a move for the Dutchman.
Ruud van Nistelrooy has little to prove to anyone, especially when it comes to the Premier League, but he may fancy a move to White Hart Lane and a return to England's top flight. Spurs have a serious problem regarding stockpiling strikers, though; they already have Robbie Keane, Jermain Defoe, Darren Bent and Roman Pavlyuchenko. At least one would surely have to make way for a new arrival.
Fulham are also said to be interested and the prospect of Europa League football could appeal to the 32-year-old.
Masch Wants Barca Move - The Sun
Tabloid newspaper The Sun's online format has some quotes from Javier Mascherano's agent, Walter Tamer, in which he suggests the Argentine animal of a midfielder would welcome interest from Champions League winners Barcelona, leaving Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez more red than the Merseyside club's shirt.
This must surely be a no-go deal. 'Masch' is a great asset to Liverpool and is key to the balance of their midfield. Mr. Benitez is likely to put up one hell of a fight to prevent the transfer from coming anywhere close to fruition. Plus, agents and representatives say a lot of things; I'm sure a move to Catalan would line Mr. Tamer's pockets for years to come.
Carlos Tevez Edges Closer To Manchester City Move Reports - Goal.com
This is a story I was given to write for Goal.com today, as more and more reports from various UK media sources appeared to be under the impression that Carlos Tevez is on the verge of joining City. In fact, in the car with my brother last night it seemed as though radio station Talksport had more or less announced a deal was in place, though I didn't catch the whole report.
Ordinarily, Manchester United would probably shut the door on such a move without hesitation, but unfortunately for them, Tevez is not their player. It is no secret that United have baulked at the asking price for the Argentinean - reported to be around £25.5 million - despite their wish to keep the player.
All signs seem to be pointing to yes on this one, and The Man City money train rolls on.
Milan Say Ciao To Kaka
In the words of average Brit-rock band, The Stereophonics:
There's no mistake/I smell that smell/It's that time of year again.
Yes, transfer season is well and truly back, and with a bang, rather than the often cautious splash we experience in the early stages.
Two big deals have already gone through; first, Gareth Barry shocked everyone by departing Aston Villa, not for Liverpool, but for moneybags Manchester City, in a move reportedly costing City £12 million pounds.
Then last night, after a week of blatant flirting, Kaka officially joined Real Madrid from AC Milan for a (pound sterling) record fee of around £56 million.
The Brazilian - a personal favourite of mine - appears to be leaving Milan with a heavy heart; that's not to say he didn't want to join Real, but more that there seems to be a mutual appreciation between Kaka and The Rossineri. Which is nice. After all, he joined the club six years ago for just €8.5 million euros, helping Milan to Champions League and Serie A glory. Pats on the back all round, fellas.
A couple of issues came to mind when I mulled over this move though:
a) AC Milan must be in some serious financial trouble during this global recession to sell Kaka. The men upstairs at the San Siro must be fearing the backlash of many an angry Milan supporter - he was one of the most beloved players amongst the fans, possibly second only to the freshly retired Paolo Maldini.
And,
b) Where does this leave winker Cristiano Ronaldo? Newly re-appointed Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is insisting he wants to bring Ronaldo to the Santiago Bernabeu this summer, but to do so, will he not have to break the transfer record yet again? Having watched the Kaka sale unfold and once commenting that he "wouldn't sell that mob a virus", Sir Alex Ferguson is unlikely to let Ronaldo go for anything other than parity with the Kaka deal.
We could be on the verge of a re-emergence of the Galactico mentality in Madrid, which would make for a mouth-wateringly exciting few months.
To close, here's BBC Sport's record transfer chart.
Side note: Denilson - who held the dubious honour 11 years ago, now plies his trade in Vietnam with Hai Pong Cement FC.
There's no mistake/I smell that smell/It's that time of year again.
Yes, transfer season is well and truly back, and with a bang, rather than the often cautious splash we experience in the early stages.
Two big deals have already gone through; first, Gareth Barry shocked everyone by departing Aston Villa, not for Liverpool, but for moneybags Manchester City, in a move reportedly costing City £12 million pounds.
Then last night, after a week of blatant flirting, Kaka officially joined Real Madrid from AC Milan for a (pound sterling) record fee of around £56 million.
The Brazilian - a personal favourite of mine - appears to be leaving Milan with a heavy heart; that's not to say he didn't want to join Real, but more that there seems to be a mutual appreciation between Kaka and The Rossineri. Which is nice. After all, he joined the club six years ago for just €8.5 million euros, helping Milan to Champions League and Serie A glory. Pats on the back all round, fellas.
A couple of issues came to mind when I mulled over this move though:
a) AC Milan must be in some serious financial trouble during this global recession to sell Kaka. The men upstairs at the San Siro must be fearing the backlash of many an angry Milan supporter - he was one of the most beloved players amongst the fans, possibly second only to the freshly retired Paolo Maldini.
And,
b) Where does this leave winker Cristiano Ronaldo? Newly re-appointed Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is insisting he wants to bring Ronaldo to the Santiago Bernabeu this summer, but to do so, will he not have to break the transfer record yet again? Having watched the Kaka sale unfold and once commenting that he "wouldn't sell that mob a virus", Sir Alex Ferguson is unlikely to let Ronaldo go for anything other than parity with the Kaka deal.
We could be on the verge of a re-emergence of the Galactico mentality in Madrid, which would make for a mouth-wateringly exciting few months.
To close, here's BBC Sport's record transfer chart.
Side note: Denilson - who held the dubious honour 11 years ago, now plies his trade in Vietnam with Hai Pong Cement FC.
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