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Owen set to follow Beckham`s footsteps
Liverpool, June 09: England midfielder Steven Gerrard has backed stand-in captain Michael Owen to carry on breaking records for the national side.
Liverpool, June 09: England midfielder Steven Gerrard has backed stand-in captain Michael Owen to carry on breaking records for the national side.
Owen will become the youngest player to make it to 50 caps with England when they play Slovakia in the Euro 2004 qualifier on Wednesday at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium.
He will celebrate it by captaining the side in the absence of the suspended David Beckham. And Gerrard believes his team-mate for club and country will prove a fine replacement. "He leads by example both on and off the pitch," he said. "Michael's going to be around the set-up for the next eight to 10 years - there's no doubt about that. "I think he's going to break all sorts of records, both goal-wise and caps-wise. David's a great captain, a great player and done so well in his England career so he's always going to be missed, but it is down to the other players to take some of his responsibility."
England were captained by no fewer than four players during their friendly game against Serbia & Montenegro as coach Sven-Goran Eriksson rung the changes. Gerrard has often been talked about as a possible skipper for his country, but the Liverpool midfielder is not in any rush to slip on the armband.
"I think there's a lot of people ahead of me for the job," he added. "I'd like to captain Liverpool one day but I think the England thing is miles away from me at the minute."
Gerrard revealed he has taken under his wing teenage star Wayne Rooney, who made his debut in their last qualifier against Turkey and is likely to be restored to the starting line-up alongside Owen.
"We are from the same area, that is why the relationship has taken off," he said. "Wayne is a young lad in the squad and I found before Euro 2000 that you are a small fish in a big pond. It can get lonely spending so much time in your room.
"I've played a few rounds of golf, table tennis and pool with him. He has settled in. He's quiet off the pitch but when you get to know him he comes out of his shell a bit more.
"Wayne made a terrific impact against Turkey and he has given Sven a major headache."
Bureau Report
Owen will become the youngest player to make it to 50 caps with England when they play Slovakia in the Euro 2004 qualifier on Wednesday at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium.
He will celebrate it by captaining the side in the absence of the suspended David Beckham. And Gerrard believes his team-mate for club and country will prove a fine replacement. "He leads by example both on and off the pitch," he said. "Michael's going to be around the set-up for the next eight to 10 years - there's no doubt about that. "I think he's going to break all sorts of records, both goal-wise and caps-wise. David's a great captain, a great player and done so well in his England career so he's always going to be missed, but it is down to the other players to take some of his responsibility."
England were captained by no fewer than four players during their friendly game against Serbia & Montenegro as coach Sven-Goran Eriksson rung the changes. Gerrard has often been talked about as a possible skipper for his country, but the Liverpool midfielder is not in any rush to slip on the armband.
"I think there's a lot of people ahead of me for the job," he added. "I'd like to captain Liverpool one day but I think the England thing is miles away from me at the minute."
Gerrard revealed he has taken under his wing teenage star Wayne Rooney, who made his debut in their last qualifier against Turkey and is likely to be restored to the starting line-up alongside Owen.
"We are from the same area, that is why the relationship has taken off," he said. "Wayne is a young lad in the squad and I found before Euro 2000 that you are a small fish in a big pond. It can get lonely spending so much time in your room.
"I've played a few rounds of golf, table tennis and pool with him. He has settled in. He's quiet off the pitch but when you get to know him he comes out of his shell a bit more.
"Wayne made a terrific impact against Turkey and he has given Sven a major headache."
Bureau Report