Riedle speaks about Owen
4th October 1999
Michael
Owen's
career was in danger of being damaged by England's tubthumping
demands to turn him into a global superstar. That is the view of
Karl-Heinz Riedle, who believes that only the Liverpool wonder
boy's 'intelligent approach' saved him from those ill-advised
publicists who hysterically acclaimed Owen as the new Ronaldo
just a year ago.
The headline-blaring hype still concerns Riedle, who until
deciding to pursue his own footballing ambitions with Fulham this
week was a vastly experienced clubmate of Owen's at Anfield.
Owen effectively drove Riedle out of Anfield but the dynamic
German bears no grudges and offers only well-earned praise,
qualified by realism. Their duel was never one of talent or
outstanding goalmouth technique, it merely came down to a birth
certificate. And Riedle knew he could not win. Losing the battle
did not, at 34, trouble his football soul too much.
What did was the hysteria that has too often followed his
youthful Liverpool team-mate.
Riedle, gifted enough to have won the European Cup with Borussia
Dortmund in 1997 and fully aware of the heady risks in the global
game, explained: 'Michael is only 19 and he will be a top
striker. But he had such exposure, such huge hype at the World
Cup. 'When they started to compare him with Ronaldo it was
ridiculous, just ridiculous. Ronaldo has played at that level for
some time and he has played here, there and everywhere. You can
expect too much of a teenager, even one with the ability of Owen.
'Development takes time. You should not expect Michael to score
five goals or whatever every game.You can build him up with
expectations that are too high. 'It looked as though in England
they were looking for a world figure and Michael had to be it. He
couldn't do anything about it. Once he scored in France they
built him up. They wanted their star... it's the way it goes.
Michael is still so young and he must be careful but he has
intelligence and he knows what he must do to handle all of this.'
In the past fortnight, Owen has been at the centre of two
disciplinary explosions. He escaped with only a caution for a
wild tackle on Everton's David Weir in Monday's Merseyside derby.
Nine days earlier, he was the innocent victim of an elbow from
Matt Elliott that landed the Leicester defender with a disrepute
charge. Riedle, speaking at his new club's training camp at
Motspur Park, believes Owen must be nurtured. 'You are so lucky
in this country, you know,' he said. 'You have Owen and Robbie
Fowler, too. They can take themselves to greatness. In Germany we
are struggling to find anyone. There are no young strikers
around.
'Maybe Michael is a little down after his injury and it could
take two, three or five months to get back to his best. But if
you are a really top striker you come again and often you are
better.' The reality for Riedle was that the young Liverpool
double act were already good enough to deny him the first-team
football he craved.
'I am 34. They are so much younger and I couldn't expect to play
more than five or 10 games,' he shrugged. 'But I wanted to play.
At Fulham I hope to help them into the Premiership. 'I had the
chance to go to Germany, Austria and Switzerland but England is
where I now like my football. This is my last move. I will finish
playing here.' New Goalie signing soon Liverpool have swooped for
Norwegian goalkeeping prospect Espen Johnsen and will complete a
£500,000 deal for the 19-year-old in the next few weeks.
Johnsen's club, FK Start, have already accepted the Liverpool
offer and will release him once their season ends later this
month. They need just one more victory to make sure of promotion
to the top division.
Johnsen, recently capped at Under-20 level, impressed during a
trial with Liverpool last season.