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While England is football's birthplace and Liverpool are the Premier League's most successful team, there's only ever been one player to represent both and win the beautiful game's most prestigious individual prize - the Ballon d'Or.
Michael Owen is looked upon very differently on Merseyside now, given that he turned his back on the club twice - first by signing for Real Madrid in 2004, before committing the ultimate sin by joining arch-rivals Manchester United in 2009.
For that reason, just how good he actually was during his pomp remains a forgotten point in time. But the fact that he is England's last Ballon d'Or recipient goes a long way towards shutting down claims among today's kids that he's nothing more than an outspoken pundit.
2001 was a long time ago, but Owen's season of ruthless finishing, coupled with the beginnings of an England career that offered a glimpse of what might have been, should forever be eulogised.
Michael Owen's Electrifying 2000/01 Season With Liverpool
Michael Owen beat insane list of players to win 2001 Ballon d'Or with Liverpool
Michael Owen beat insane list of players to win 2001 Ballon d'Or with Liverpool
Owen was the fourth English national to win the award upon his anointment 25 years ago, after Stanley Matthews (1956), Bobby Charlton (1966) and fellow Reds' legend Kevin Keegan (1978, 1979).
Perhaps the craziest thing about his win is not that he claimed the title - as his performances for the Merseysiders more than warranted such high acclaim - but rather the margin he won it by. He earnt 176 points at the Parisian ceremony, which was 36 more than Raul, 62 more than Oliver Kahn, and an incredible 74 more points than compatriot David Beckham. See the full voting results below:
In 2001, Liverpool finished third in the Premier League, but won an unofficial treble by hoisting the FA Cup, League Cup, and UEFA Cup (now known as the Europa League) under Gerard Houlier.
Across 46 appearances in all competitions, Owen - just 23 at the time, scored 24 goals and produced a further eight assists for his teammates.
Owen scored both of Liverpool's goals in their triumph over Arsenal in the 2001 FA Cup Final as they came back from 1–0 down to win 2–1 (watch below). And, within just a few short months, he added a Charity Shield and UEFA Super Cup to his trophy cabinet, with Liverpool becoming the first English team to win five trophies in one calendar year.
In his prime, Owen was highly regarded for his great pace, his scarily efficient opportunism,and agility, as well as his technical ability and a vision for goal matched by no other, which enabled him to be considered one of the greatest English and Premier League strikers of his generation.
He Also Made the Most of England's In-Between Year
Michael Owen England
Michael Owen England
With no World Cup or European Championship in 2001, Owen's chances of being crowned the world's best footballer was mostly limited to his efforts at club level.
He still managed to impress on the world stage, right at a point in time when the Three Lions' famously-optimistic population felt the side were forming a team capable of winning silverware.
Internationally that year, his standout moment came in September, when he scored a hat-trick in England’s 5-1 win away to Germany in a World Cup qualifier and lifted his reputation worldwide with a sublime performance.
By the time his career came to an end, with reoccurring hamstring and knee injuries forcing him to manage minutes throughout his autumn years, Owen scored 40 goals in 89 England caps. He remains among his country's best-ever players.