Owen: I still have two years left at the top

Manchester United striker Michael Owen insists he still has at last two more years at the top level despite his present injury problems.

Owen has made only four appearances for the Red Devils this season, and none since November, since when he has been sidelined by a thigh problem.

It has merely compounded the problems he has suffered throughout the latter years of his career, having exploded on to the scene as a teenager in the 1998 World Cup and then become England’s fourth-highest goalscorer.

So long has Owen been around, it is hard to imagine he is only 32.

And, whilst he has ruled out extending his career into his late 30s Ryan Giggs-style, the former Liverpool and Real Madrid star is adamant there is more in the tank.

“I must admit, I don’t think I am going to be one of the players who is still playing when they are 37 or 38 like Ryan,” said Owen.

“But I certainly think I still have another two or three years left in me.

“I listen to players in the dressing room; some players are struggling to get out of bed and complain about their knees or Achilles. I never get any pains like that.”