Matt Clark
17 Mar 2004, 07:59 AM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/headlinenews?id=294370&cc=5739
Owen has spoken of his pain and anguish when he misses penalties - and his obsession with playing for Liverpool and scoring goals.
In an interview with the club's LiverpoolFC magazine after Owen's penalty miss at Portsmouth in the FA Cup replay defeat last month -
'That day was as bad as I have ever felt. I was so low I just wanted to wrap the season up there and then. I remember thinking `I wish someone would just give us that fourth place and we could finish it all now'.
'There's nothing quite like taking a penalty in a match. In the week leading up to every game I take dozens and dozens of penalties in front of the gaffer. Before that Portsmouth game we had practised our penalties all the way through the week because it was an FA Cup replay which could have gone into a shoot-out.
'Let's just say I was on a high, I thought I couldn't miss a penalty that week. Then the game comes round and you miss your first out of 100. You think `how's that happened?'
'Apart from the odd moment, I always look forward to playing and achieving. We are still in the UEFA Cup and we have got to get into the Champions League. They are still targets to aim for. 'I could think of many players who are worse off, players with teams who are 13th or 14th who can't go down and can't get into Europe.
'Actually, it must be even worse if they are fighting against relegation, I am one of the lucky ones.'
With reports of death threats to his manager and himself, and the injury to his new fiancee Louise, plus the kidnap attempt on his sister, Owen could easily find the pressures now too much to handle.
He admitted: 'I suppose I don't relax. I go home and, at the back of my mind, whatever I do, I am scoring goals.
'If I am at home and playing with the baby, I'm thinking `don't bend over too long because you might hurt your back and you may not be able to play'.
'That's the life you live as a footballer and you live it for 10 years. I'm obsessed with playing for Liverpool and scoring goals. I do everything in my power to make that possible, you may think that is pressure but I do not see it that way.
'I love doing what I am doing, I see it as a joy. Scoring goals gives you the biggest feeling in the world. I don't do it because I have got to score goals, I do it because I love it.'
A lot of people in a lot of places need to be remembering rare moments of openness like this from one of our finest servants.
We all have a role to play and we all have a level of dedication to live up to.
Support.
Owen has spoken of his pain and anguish when he misses penalties - and his obsession with playing for Liverpool and scoring goals.
In an interview with the club's LiverpoolFC magazine after Owen's penalty miss at Portsmouth in the FA Cup replay defeat last month -
'That day was as bad as I have ever felt. I was so low I just wanted to wrap the season up there and then. I remember thinking `I wish someone would just give us that fourth place and we could finish it all now'.
'There's nothing quite like taking a penalty in a match. In the week leading up to every game I take dozens and dozens of penalties in front of the gaffer. Before that Portsmouth game we had practised our penalties all the way through the week because it was an FA Cup replay which could have gone into a shoot-out.
'Let's just say I was on a high, I thought I couldn't miss a penalty that week. Then the game comes round and you miss your first out of 100. You think `how's that happened?'
'Apart from the odd moment, I always look forward to playing and achieving. We are still in the UEFA Cup and we have got to get into the Champions League. They are still targets to aim for. 'I could think of many players who are worse off, players with teams who are 13th or 14th who can't go down and can't get into Europe.
'Actually, it must be even worse if they are fighting against relegation, I am one of the lucky ones.'
With reports of death threats to his manager and himself, and the injury to his new fiancee Louise, plus the kidnap attempt on his sister, Owen could easily find the pressures now too much to handle.
He admitted: 'I suppose I don't relax. I go home and, at the back of my mind, whatever I do, I am scoring goals.
'If I am at home and playing with the baby, I'm thinking `don't bend over too long because you might hurt your back and you may not be able to play'.
'That's the life you live as a footballer and you live it for 10 years. I'm obsessed with playing for Liverpool and scoring goals. I do everything in my power to make that possible, you may think that is pressure but I do not see it that way.
'I love doing what I am doing, I see it as a joy. Scoring goals gives you the biggest feeling in the world. I don't do it because I have got to score goals, I do it because I love it.'
A lot of people in a lot of places need to be remembering rare moments of openness like this from one of our finest servants.
We all have a role to play and we all have a level of dedication to live up to.
Support.