Michael Owen: Five of the best

Michael Owen has announced his retirement from football at the end of the season

Michael Owen has announced his retirement from football at the end of the season. Luke Moore looks back over some of his best moments and forward to England's fixture with San Marino this Friday...

After a career spanning 17 seasons and 260 goals, Michael Owen yesterday announced his retirement from professional football. Although injury dogged him throughout his playing years, he still managed to rack up two Premier League golden boots and a prestigious Ballon d'Or. 

Here, we count down Owen's top five moments for club and country.

2001 FA Cup Final, Arsenal 1-2 Liverpool

In the 82nd minute of the first FA Cup Final to be held at Cardiff's Millenium Stadium, Arsenal fans were all geared up for a long night of celebration, assuming they'd won their first FA Cup for three years. Enter Owen. The Gunners failed to clear a free kick, and the youngster from Chester dived in to equalise from ten yards out. But the best was yet to come; two minutes from the final whistle, Owen was released by Patrik Berger down the left and left Lee Dixon and Tony Adams for dead before slotting an inch-perfect finish beyond David Seaman into the bottom corner. Liverpool's sixth FA Cup was clinched, and the finest smash-and-grab job in recent memory was complete.

1998 World Cup, Argentina 2-2 England

After being used off the bench against Romania in the group stage and contributing a goal, Glenn Hoddle elected to use the 18-year-old Owen from the start in the second round tie against Argentina. The first fifteen minutes of the game proved to be as frantic as they were dramatic, culminating in Owen slaloming past Jose Chamot and Roberto Ayala before firing the ball into the top corner beyond Carlos Roa to put England 1-2 ahead. Michael Owen had arrived, and the world had started to take notice.

2004-05 La Liga, Real Madrid 4-2 Barcelona

Although Owen's time in Madrid was somewhat subdued, he found favour with fans of Los Merengues by scoring against bitter rivals Barcelona in el clasico. It was a goal made in north west England as he found space behind Barca's backline and picked up a David Beckham pass over the top before composing himself and smashing a fierce right foot shot through Victor Valdes.

2009-10 Premier League, Man United 4-3 Man City

They say the poacher's instinct is the last thing to leave a striker, and although Owen was in the twilight of his career by this stage, he still showed stunning composure to secure a massive derby win for United at home to bitter rivals City. After Craig Bellamy had capitalised on a Rio Ferdinand mistake to equalise late on for Mark Hughes' men, Michael Owen popped up in injury time to secure  a famous win for Sir Alex Ferguson's side.

2002 World Cup Qualifying, Germany 1-5 England

On what was undoubtedly England's finest night for many a year, the Three Lions put a weak Germany side to the sword in spectacular fashion and Owen starred, weighing in with a hat trick. England would go on to top the qualifying group and Owen would finish as top-scorer within it, but it was that night in Munich where many a memory was forged.

England face two World Cup 2014 qualifying games this weekend, starting on Friday night against San Marino. They obviously won't have Michael Owen there to fire them to glory, but Frank Lampard is currently trading at 1.75/7 to score at any time and looks a good bet. The Chelsea man will be on penalty duty and has been among the goals of late.