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Michael Owen reveals all about his Ballon d’Or that fans ‘weren’t a***d about’ and being ‘voice of the Premier League’
Discover how he narrowly avoided losing one of his most treasured possessions
MICHAEL OWEN might feel “less people are a**ed” about him here - but his popularity abroad was never more evident than when he brought Pakistan to a standstill this week.
And he revealed all to his adoring public about “being the voice of the Premier League” and how he almost made a huge mistake after his iconic hat-trick against Germany.
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The 44-year-old England legend, who remains the the last British player to win the famous Ballon d'Or award, fired both Liverpool and Manchester United to silverware in an incredible career that included a goal for Real Madrid in El Clasico.
Famously announcing himself to the planet with THAT strike against Argentina at the World Cup in 1998, he scored against the mighty Brazil in the quarter final four years later as well as in the last-eight Euro 2004 showdown with Portugal to prove he was the man for the big occasion.
The former Newcastle and Stoke ace scored 222 goals in a 17-year club career that ended in 2013 with a tally of 40 in 89 caps for his country.
His status as one of England’s greatest scorers of all-time should be celebrated - but he is now hoping to have kicked off a lasting legacy in a nation nearly 8,000 miles away.
Owen first agreed to become Global Brand Ambassador for the brand new Pakistan Football League three years ago.
Political issues in the fifth-most populous country on the planet have held things up, but this week it was finally time for the big kick-off in the first-ever franchise-based league in the South Asian nation.
Joined by former England and Liverpool strike partner Emile Heskey, 46, and ex-Tottenham and France defender Pascal Chimbonda, Owen led an international delegation on a relentless 800 mile journey from Islamabad to Lahore and then Karachi over three days.
From meetings with a host of ministers, high commissioners, colleges, schools, malls and even an exhibition game in an area known as ‘Little Brazil’, all three signed literally thousands of autographs and posed for even more photos despite barely having enough time to sleep on the whistle-stop tour.
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The non-stop convoy of cars carrying the delegation, which was accompanied on the crazy journey by an armed guard, genuinely brought each chaotic but charming city to a stop amid the sound of horns and the millions of mopeds.
Admittedly, this was not going down the mine for a 12 hour shift, but this was hard work in the searing 40-plus degree heat and humidity for anybody - let alone one of the greatest players from the past 30 years.
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And especially for someone like Owen, who is not short of commercial offers that would undoubtedly require a lot less effort and potentially even more financially rewarding.
Speaking in his role as the PFL Global Brand Ambassador after the jam-packed PFL league launch event in Lahore to reporters, Owen explained: “I got approached three or four years ago with the idea of them wanting to start a new league.
I won Ballon d'Or, Premier League and reached Champions League final - but FA Cup victory was best day of my life
“Obviously, deals come in quite frequently and you weigh up the pros and cons and Pakistan is such a huge country and it’s quite scary to think that they have just not got a football league.
“I know from my experience of travelling the world that they are massively passionate about football. The two trips that I’ve done to Pakistan have only confirmed that.
“I just think that it’s quite a nice thing to start a league from scratch and try and have a bit of an influence.
“The last time I came over was two or three years ago, but due to the political situation we kind of lost a little bit of momentum but we’ve regained it over the past year or so.
“People might turn their nose up but it’s really interesting and they are very passionate and it could be very big over time.
“It is exciting and in years to come, to almost feel like you’ve played a little bit of a part in that - I know people will always say ‘why would you be bothered’ and all of that as I work for the Premier League and my loyalties are right there with the Premier League.
“But an emerging country with the population that Pakistan has got, the passion that they have got, it is really quite an exciting project.
“I’ve really enjoyed learning more, understanding and meeting a lot of the people as it’s been unbelievably positive.
“You can’t fail to come and hear people screaming your name and be grateful for so much support.”
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The eight-team league is set to be conducted in November this year and is being organised by the PFL UK Holdings, led by its chairman Farhan Junejo and president and CEO Ahmer Kunwar.
But what now that the glitzy and glamorous launch event, which was remarkably and expertly hosted by Sky Sports News icon Alison Bender for over four hours on stage, has taken place?
“There’s still obviously loads of conversations to be had setting up - the rules, regulations, everything about it is going to be a challenge for the next few months,” explained Owen.
“My role is slightly different in terms of being the global ambassador for it, so I’ll be there for probably the opening games and trophy presentation and the draft pick - big occasions I might pop over but hopefully, they will tap into my knowledge as well.
“Obviously, there are a lot of legalities, rule-making etc that needs to be done and it’s all a little bit of a leap into the unknown at the moment.”
As was evidenced here with the rock star reception, Owen is held in the highest regard by footy fans across the globe.
And the fact that he won the Ballon d’Or is something they all want to talk about - even though he admits he had not even heard of it when he found out he’d won it.
He said: “I’d say my standing, if that’s the right word, is ten times higher abroad than it is in the UK.
“In the UK I’m one of a Golden Generation that was good at football, the likes of me, Rio [Ferdinand], [Frank] Lampard, Scholesy [Paul Scholes, [Steven] Gerrard, [Wayne] Rooney, all of us, give or take 15 or 20 per cent, we are all seen as sort of equal and possibly commercial deals, appearances on the TV, whatever it might be, it is probably quite an even split in many ways.
BALLON D'OR WINNERS
Here is the incredible list of names to lift the prestigious award this century:
2023 - Lionel Messi
2022 - Karim Benzema
2021 - Lionel Messi
2020 - N/A due to Covid
2019 - Lionel Messi
2018 - Luka Modric
2017 - Cristiano Ronaldo
2016 - Cristiano Ronaldo
2015 - Lionel Messi
2014 - Cristiano Ronaldo
2013 - Cristiano Ronaldo
2012 - Lionel Messi
2011 - Lionel Messi
2010 - Lionel Messi
2009 - Lionel Messi
2008 - Cristiano Ronaldo
2007 -Kaka
2006 - Fabio Cannavaro
2005 - Ronaldinho
2004 - Andriy Shevchenko
2003 - Pavel Nedved
2002 - Ronaldo
2001 - Michael Owen
2000 - Luis Figo
“Take me abroad and, I guess what most people remember, Owen and [David] Beckham back in the day at the World Cup.
“I go back to the ‘98 World Cup and I get a bit of popularity from that, but the following years a big generation of people started following football when it started booming in Asia after the 2002 World Cup when me and David were two of the big stars out there for the England team at that point.
“I also think that something like the Ballon D’or carries massive weight abroad but it carries no weight at home.
“In fact, in the last few years people have started mentioning my name with the Ballon D’or, but when I went to Real Madrid you could not read an article without my name being followed by ‘Ballon D’or winner’ in Italy, France, Spain, wherever.
“When I won it I didn’t even know what it is - I was like ‘European Player of the Year - oh my god!’
“I read all the names but I really had to read up on what it was and the press gave no credibility to it for years and years but in France, Italy, wherever I go abroad they always say: ‘Oh my god, you won the Ballon D’or’.
“Less people are a***ed in England. My stock is like tenfold abroad.”
He also provided another example during the media junket, of which Sun Sport were the only UK representatives to attend, of why he may not be regarded as highly as some other stars from his era are on these shores - despite being the face of the Premier League across the globe.
He said: “Everybody in the UK obviously watches Sky TV and sees the Carras (Jamie Carragher), [Gary] Neville and Roy Keane whatever, then Rio on TNT and I do my fair little bit for them on European nights, but in general, 95 per cent of my TV work is to the world.
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“I head up the punditry on the Premier League around the world, my face is virtually in every home in 200 odd countries virtually daily - we’ve got a 24-hour channel and I work really hard.
“Whenever I go to a restaurant or a shop or whatever, half the people will say ‘we loved your career, what do you do nowadays, are you just into your horses?’
“I’m like ‘you what?’ I do more TV work than anybody. You go to Africa, Asia, anywhere - I represent the Premier League on the TV.
“Yes the Nevilles, Carraghers etc do it in the UK, but the rest of the world see me, I’m the voice of the Premier League.
“Again, it’s just another thing where people see me on the tele all the time talking about football, and it’s just another example of my standing being massively higher than it is in the UK.”
One of the main reasons for the delegation being invited was so that the PFL bosses could tap into the knowledge of the likes of former Manchester United chiefs Michael Knighton and Mike Farnan, now CEO of Redstrike, plus ex-Barnsley and Red Bull Salzburg manager Gerhard Struber.
PAKISTAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Michael Owen is the official global ambassador for the brand-new PFL.
The England legend, joined by Emile Heskey and Pascal Chimbonda, led an international delegation on a 800 mile journey from Islamabad to Lahore and then Karachi over three days last week.
The ex-Liverpool, Real Madrid and Man Utd forward then took centre stage at the official launch party on Thursday.
The eight-team league is set to be conducted in November this year and is being organised by the PFL UK Holdings, led by its chairman Farhan Junejo and president and CEO Ahmer Kunwar.
Follow the Pakistan Football League on Instagram for further updates on the newly-formed competition.
Officials from the MLS, FC Basel, Atletico Madrid and Benfica, who became the first to sign a commitment with the PFL to train 100 pakistani players, were also part of the vital talks offering advice.
Owen said: “How many people were with us? About 25? From all walks of life and all corners of the globe.
“Obviously everybody has their own agendas and wants their own club to succeed and benefit from it, that’s business but it’s about what we can do for each other.
“But we’ve seen teams like Benfica, Atletico Madrid, FC Basel, MLS - it really is fascinating. We are all waiting with bated breath.”
Another person offering advice was former Football Association Club England managing director Adrian Bevington, Now UK Managing director at PROProfil.
And this was someone to whom Owen revealed he owed a debt of gratitude for saving one of his most cherished possessions from his career.
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England's 5-1 World Cup qualification win in Munich on September 1, 2001 over Germany remains a night neither any watching Three Lion fan nor Owen will ever forget.
It was another headline-stealing show from the goal machine as he delivered an epic hat-trick.
But he was so focused on securing the match ball at full-time that he inadvertently agreed to swap shirts with opposition defender Jorg Bohme.
And it was not until Bevington, who was then in the role of FA communications director, quickly pointed out his error that Owen managed to get back one of his prized mementos.
“Thank god for him,” Owen recalled. “You know, a lot of the time you swap shirts. It was No.3 and he [Bevington] was just like: ‘What are you doing? That’s a piece of history!’
“It then just dawned on me. I’m normally quite clear thinking but obviously, you’re just so happy and concentrating on picking up the match ball and celebrating with the lads, but then you think: ‘Oh god. I’ve swapped my shirt!’
“I actually still gave him my shirt. We always get two shirts, one to wear and one to swap. Some people change at half time into a fresh, clean shirt, but I always kept mine on for the whole game.
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“So I just sort of went back in with my non-match worn shirt - which is good because obviously it keeps my collection of memorabilia complete. I’d have been absolutely gutted if I’d have given that away.”
Owen was speaking at the launch of the Pakistan Football League in his role as the official Global Ambassador for the PFL.
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