9 November 2005
Press Conference: Michael Owen

Michael talks to the press ahead of England's International Friendly against Argentina in Geneva.


Click here to read the full transcription from Michael's press briefing

Michael Owen believes a contest between the England World Cup teams of 1998, 2002 and 2006 would see the current side run out ultimate champions.

Owen is preparing for his third World Cup finals at the tender age of 25 and he is adamant this is the best chance we have ever had of lifting the famous trophy.

In fact, he is so encouraged by the strength in depth of the Three Lions squad that he has named the current 22 as the best World Cup squad he has played in.

"Which team would win between the three sides? Well, if everyone plays to their maximum, then I think this one," he insisted.

"We have such good players, the standard in training is unbelievable. If everyone is on song in any particular match then I wouldn’t be scared of anyone.

"I think the 1998 team was full of real experience and for a lot of players it was their last big tournament. Then the next time we had a really inexperienced team - and this one is in the middle of that.

"I think we’ve got a bit of everything. Ability wise I think this team is a fantastic team when it is playing and functioning. I think it is a top team."

Owen hopes Sven-Goran Eriksson’s men will prove just that when they take on old rivals Argentina in Geneva on Saturday and he believes the signs are good ahead of next summer’s World Cup Finals in Germany.

He said: "We’ve shown that we can play well as a group, not as often as we would like but we have shown it. The important thing for the manager and players and everyone else is to peak at the right time.

"That’s the challenge to everyone, we know that if we can peak in the seven games in Germany then we have a great chance. But everyone is wanting the same thing, it’s all about how we play on the day."

Owen, in fact, is so impressed by the quality of the England squad that he believes it would be more than a match for the best club sides in the world.

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho recently claimed that the Champions League has overtaken the World Cup as the biggest stage in football, and that Europe’s top clubs would beat even the likes of England, Brazil and France.

But Owen has different ideas and reckons England have greater strength in depth than even his old club Real Madrid.

So who would win that fantasy battle?

"It’s hard to make comparisons," he said. "You would love to see Chelsea play England or Madrid play Spain one day but you are never going to get it.

"But what I was saying is that although there were some top, top players at Madrid that everyone knows about, in the England squad we have got players who are in that same league - but when you get out of that first 10 or 11 then what you’ve got underneath this team is very, very strong as well.

"In Madrid we had the Galactico thing where we had five or six world beaters and then the rest of the lads were good hard working pros. But with England there’s 22 players and every player is top notch."