Only one current England player, according to Michael Owen, would have made the squad in the “golden generation.” Alongside some of the best players the nation has ever produced, the former Three Lions striker was a part of one of the biggest what-ifs in English football history. However, he was unable to go past the quarterfinals of any significant international competition.
With the rise of players like Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, Gareth Southgate’s team has advanced to the European Championship finals and a World Cup semi-final in the past ten years, bringing England closer to glory than they had since 1966. But according to Owen, there would only be one individual who could defeat any of his old teammates.
Owen Claims Kyle Walker the Only Player Who’d Improve Golden Generation
Walker would make his way into the team over stalwart right-back Gary Neville
Ahead of England’s World Cup qualifying match against Latvia, Owen told talkSPORT that only Kyle Walker would have a chance to make the squad under Sven-Goran Eriksson, drawing comparisons between Thomas Tuchel’s stars and the players he played with in the 2000s.
After trying every position on the team, Owen was only able to convince Walker to replace Manchester United great Gary Neville:
“A lot of it is happening right now, contrasting players from the past with those from the present. Right now, our centre halves would use anything to clean the floor, wouldn’t they? Right now, even our sixth, seventh, and eighth picks are joining the team.
“I believe Kyle Walker would be the right-back because he has been so excellent over the past few years. notwithstanding Gary Neville’s own exceptional brilliance.
Owen would continue talking about the rest of the team, implying that players like Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard, and Steven Gerrard would all surpass those who are now wearing the England jersey.
England Stats: Kyle Walker vs. Gary Neville
Statistics
Walker
Neville
Caps
94
85
Objectives
One
0
Helps
10.
4.
Games for Tournaments
24
16
Finals of Majors
2.
Walker’s problems with Manchester City in the 2024–2025 season and a lacklustre Euro 2024 campaign put him in danger of having his international career ruined. But the veteran’s impressive, if brief, start on loan at AC Milan earned him a spot in the starting lineup for Tuchel’s debut as manager against Albania, when he helped the home team win 2-0 while keeping a clean sheet.
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