Overview

• On his BBC show, Wayne Rooney said he would not judge himself against Michael Owen, calling them different players and recalling he once pretended to be Owen as a kid.
• Rooney credited Owen’s peak as “incredible” at 17–18 and suggested injuries limited Owen later in his career, noting he could adapt by playing wider or in midfield.
• Michael Owen had earlier posted on X that at 17 he scored 18 Premier League goals to Rooney’s six, repeated the tally at 18, and never trailed Rooney across their first seven seasons, while acknowledging Rooney’s greater overall career.
• The renewed comparison followed Owen’s comments on Rio Ferdinand’s podcast and a BBC social media question that Owen answered with career and awards statistics, including his Ballon d’Or at 22.
• New reaction included ex-United goalkeeper Ben Foster calling Owen’s recent remarks disrespectful on his podcast, as Harry Kane said he is happy at Bayern after Owen labeled Kane’s move to Germany “nuts.”