Owen targets England call

August 3, 2009

Michael Owen has yet to be called up to the England team under Fabio Capello but he is hoping that his move to Manchester United can get him his place back if he can stay fit and keep hitting the back of the net.

“My mind’s been thinking about that since I was three years old in the back garden, and nothing has changed,”

“Winning the World Cup is the ultimate - it’s still my dream.”

Owen also hit back at his critics who insist he is past his best and could struggle at Old Trafford where the summer exits of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez have piled more pressure onto his shoulders.

Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce and Wigan owner David Whelan both distanced themselves from a move for Owen.

“If that was how they were perceiving me, fine, because the greatest accolade I could have is that Sir Alex Ferguson didn’t think about that,” Owen

“I can quietly sit here and and look around where I am now - and if anyone else wants to look at what they’ve said, then they might feel embarrassed. I don’t feel I have to impress these people.

“I only need to prove things to people who believe in me. I want to show Sir Alex was right to believe in me.”

Owen is unfazed about the challenge of filling the gap left by the departures of Tevez and Ronaldo.

“The team has lost two players - Tevez, who scored a few, and Ronaldo who got lots over the last two seasons,” he said.

“There’s a big hole to fill, and I hope I can help plug it in terms of goals. I can’t do it on my own - but I will help out.

“When you sign for United you get excited about a lot of things. One of them, I hope, is scoring a lot of goals - because I am going to get a lot more chances here than at other teams.”

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