| I don't know where I would fit in today's game, says Michael Owen | | | Agencies
MUMBAI, Apr 6: The game of football continues to evolve in a fast pace and teams hardly use two strikers these days, says former England and Real Madrid forward Michael Owen, adding he does not know how he would fit in the modern game.
Owen is in Mumbai along with several other international superstars such as Luis Figo, Carles Puyol, Rivaldo, Xavi and many others to take part in a 'Legends Faceoff' match between former Real Madrid and FC Barcelona players.
"The game has definitely changed. Everybody had two strikers when I was growing up, when I played professional football. Now, hardly anybody does that," Owen said during a select media interaction ahead of the match here on Sunday.
"Of course, now not many people have two strikers, the role has changed. The profile has changed, the shape and size of the striker has changed.
"Somebody like myself, I guess, I don't know where I would fit in today's game. Maybe I would have to play in one of the wider areas," he said. Owen said across Europe there are not many natural No. 9s that can score a lot of goals which indicated towards the change in profile of players.
"Profile (has) definitely changed. There's just less because of that, because of the profile and because of the way teams play now, there's just less strikers as well," he said.
"I look around Europe and there's not many natural No. 9s who can score lot of goals. But when we were playing, there was loads and loads of them. The game has changed a little bit. Wider players scoring more goals now coming inside, being on their wrong foot," he added.
The 45-year-old Owen, who last played for England in 2008, said he would prefer to stick with the old style.
"I prefer the old style. I think combinations and pairings was great and I do think in time it will come back. Football is quite fashionable. You know, if one great coach is playing one way, then everybody thinks that's the perfect way and everybody follows," he said.
"So maybe in a few years we will come back to having two centre forwards. I don't know. But yeah, I'd certainly prefer the old way when everybody had pairs," he added. Portugal and Real Madrid legend Figo said it remains to be seen whether Cristiano Ronaldo will play for the country in the 2026 World Cup.
"I don't know what is the idea for Cristiano, how long he wants to continue to play, how long he will play for Portugal. It's a lot of questions that I cannot answer right now," he said. |
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