Debut and breakthrough
Michael Owen made his senior England debut in 1998, quickly forcing his way into Glenn Hoddle's World Cup squad for France '98 while still a teenager at Liverpool.
The Argentina goal
At the 1998 World Cup, an 18-year-old Owen scored a stunning solo goal against Argentina in the last-16, driving from the halfway line before finishing past the goalkeeper. The goal instantly made him one of the most recognised young players in the world and remains one of the most replayed England World Cup goals of all time.
World Cup record
Owen played at three World Cups — 1998, 2002 and 2006 — scoring four goals across those tournaments, including a hat-trick effort of note against Denmark's opponents in the 2002 group stage on his way to becoming a mainstay of England's front line through the mid-2000s.
England scoring record
By the time he stepped back from international football, Owen had earned 89 caps and scored 40 goals for England — 26 of them in competitive matches, which was a national record at the time. He has since been overtaken on England's all-time scoring charts by later generations of strikers.