Portal:Cheshire/Selected biography/2

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Michael James Owen (born December 14, 1979, in Chester, Cheshire) is an English football player currently with Newcastle United. He previously played for Liverpool (1996–2004) and Real Madrid (2004–5). He plays as a striker and has enjoyed a hugely successful and high-profile career at both club and international level and was the European Footballer of the Year in 2001. Owen is currently England's fourth highest scorer of all time, with 37 goals in 82 games for his country, with him being England's leading competitive goalscorer on 23 goals.

Pace and clinical finishing were Owen's greatest assets early in his career, though he has since lost pace due to injuries. Owen returned from a year and a half of recurrent injuries, sustained since December 2005, towards the end of the 2006–7 season.