Gerrard is perfect - Owen

psl · May 27, 2006

Not quite the same with Bowyer and N'Zogbia is it?

http://www.football365.com/news/story_186178.shtml

Owen - Gerrard is just perfect

Saturday May 27 2006

Michael Owen has hailed Steven Gerrard as "the perfect footballer" as England conclude their countdown to the World Cup finals against Hungary and Jamaica at Old Trafford.

The Newcastle player believes Gerrard could play the role of a secondary striker in a 4-4-1-1 type of formation if Sven-Goran Eriksson decides that is a better option to playing Peter Crouch alongside Owen in the absence of Wayne Rooney.

Owen said: "Can Steven Gerrard be used as a second striker? It's being brought to light now because he had a great game in the FA Cup final against West Ham. But everyone has always known you could play him up front. Everyone has also known you could play him at right-back, left-back, or even centre-half."

Gerrard has impressed in that position on several occasions for Liverpool, most notably during the second half of the Champions League final triumph over AC Milan last season.

But Owen's faith in his former Reds team-mate is such he is confident Gerrard could successfully operate anywhere if required by Eriksson.

He added: "If you want to look for a perfect footballer just look at Steven Gerrard. He's got great athleticism, he's quick. In fact, he's about just got everything. He could play in any position and do it well."

While Gerrard may be approaching his prime, Theo Walcott is just starting out on his international career and the 17-year-old impressed Owen as a substitute in Thursday's B international with Belarus at Reading.

Owen said: "I think Theo handles the weight of expectation fine. He is quite a level-headed lad. To be fair, I think everyone expected him to handle it fine.

"It was unfortunate we weren't on top of our game and playing good football and creating against Belarus because Theo is like me. In that, if we are not getting good quality ball in and around the final third, you can look as ineffective as anyone."

Kathy · May 27, 2006

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