02 Mar 2024 19:30:26
Anyone else remember Michael Owen soccer skills? I was 8 when it came out and remember thinking Owen was a tit then, and not only because he called it soccer skills. He was showing how to score but was Vs a 13 year old keeper and was not holding back.

Neville Southall was guiding the keeper and even he was irked at Owen, saying we'll done, he's 13. So cringe and I think it showed how much he loved himself.

1.) 02 Mar 2024
02 Mar 2024 20:19:53
This is quite a funny clip and does make Owen look a tit.

Looking back now though a bit of tough love wouldn’t have done the kid any harm.

In this day and age kids get medals for just turning up and aren’t held accountable for anything. If this happened in this day and age Owen would have a legal case against him for bullying or some other snow flake libal case.

2.) 02 Mar 2024
02 Mar 2024 20:48:49
He’s so far up his own hoop it’s unreal .

3.) 02 Mar 2024
02 Mar 2024 21:07:06
I think this is all rather harmless really……who was the kid, did make as pro?
It is nice to see though how supportive Southall was though.

4.) 02 Mar 2024
02 Mar 2024 23:03:43
I remember watching this show, and another show where Michael Owen was a poster that regularly talked to some kid. Different times :P

I absolutely loved it when I was a kid, and even bought the book which showcased about 100 technical exercises. Now, as an adult, it is pretty obvious that Michael Owen didn't receive the right guidance growing up. It was all about him, the star, and he never once cared about anyone but himself.

Fairplay to Southall also, he gave good positive reinforcement throughout that finishing exercises, as he could see the young keeper was a little overwhelmed by the whole thing. Not helped with Owen embarrassing the kid at times.

Loved Owen as a kid, and he was the man that made me support Liverpool, after his goal against Argentina in 1998. In fact, I always wanted him to play instead of Fowler as he was younger and looked like me. It's not until the adulthood do you realize how amazing Fowler truly was.

Also, a bit ironic that the show was shot at Stoke City's home stadium, where Owen would eventually play his final games as a player. What a fall from grace.

5.) 03 Mar 2024
03 Mar 2024 02:52:17
In defence of Owen, he was about 19 when this came out. The dynamic between a 19-year old and 13-year old is different to that of a 30-year old and 13-year old. It just is.

Also it's crazy to think how much expectation was put on a teenager back then. Compare that to how we're protecting Bobby Clark who is the same age as Owen in this video.

6.) 03 Mar 2024
03 Mar 2024 04:39:40
Not sure if I agree with you on that BR.
While I agree football can put crazy expectations of teenage prodigies, then and now, and as a club we definitely are doing better in managing our young talents, Owen’s behaviour in this video is nothing short of being a prick.

As a 19 yo, you are on the cusp of young adulthood, have gone through large parts of adolescence, given the chance to behave silly or even reckless at times and experience more limited consequences, and given he was a global star by then, he should know better to manage himself a lot more decently in such a situation (even if he was a prick within still) . Especially since he was up against a 13 yo kid. I can understand if it’s 2 best mates on a banter (heck, even adults do that when in a private setting), but this was someone he didn’t share a relationship with in a recorded video. I did be ashamed if this was my child.

Young teens that have achieved more in life has conducted themselves better than him. It’s a pity, so much talent, so little character and with the way he conducted himself, didn’t achieve as much as he could have in football terms and definitely didn’t endear himself to any of the clubs he turned out for in the end in my view.

{Ed001's Note - he was a bully. That is something that he showed throughout his time at Liverpool. I am not surprised he acted like this in the video as it was very much him being him.}

7.) 03 Mar 2024
03 Mar 2024 08:57:36
Owen may be a young adult here, but surely plenty of us have played a kid as a young adult in some form of sport and confident none of us acted in a similar vein. Doesn’t come across as bantering or having fun with him, if anything be mortifying for the kid.

Weirdly reminded me of when Ronaldo stood up for the lad who was trying to speak to him in Portuguese and media giggled at him. then praised him for his efforts.

Sure Ronaldo has a fair bit of ego on him, but genuinely comes across as a good and altruistic guy. Funny media paint the two very differently in the uk - esp when Ronaldo seems a good role model.

8.) 03 Mar 2024
03 Mar 2024 12:16:00
Yeh lads, but if any of us look back and aren't disgusted with some of the things with did as a teenager/ young man i think were telling fibs. Worth remembering Owen was only 24 by the time he LEFT Liverpool, were we all rounded perfect men by that age? i know i wasnt.