11th February 1998, 18 year old Michael Owen became the youngest England international when he debuted in a friendly against Chile at Wembley, a game England lost 0-2. No goal on debut!
Chile, as a valuable opposition for England, had been banned from the World Cup, after their goalkeeper Roberto Rojas had been banned for feigning injury in 1989 against Brazil in a World Cup qualifier, an attempt to get the game abandoned.
Glen Hoddle managed England and included Owen in an "experimental" side. Owen had only made his Liverpool debut in 1996/7. Four days before the international, Owen had scored 2 goals against Southampton and three days after he netted a hat trick against Sheffield Wednesday. So he was on form.
In his first international games, Owen scored two goals coming as a sub, against Morocco in the King Hassan II Cup and Romania in a World Cup qualifier. His next goal, his third was that great goal against Argentina in the World Cup Round of 16. This "last 16 match" in St Etienne, ended 2-2 aet (Shearer scored the first goal) and then there was Beckham being wound up by Simeone and eventually a defeat on penalties.
Owen scored 40 goals in 89 appearances, his last in France in 2008, when he came on for Rooney in an England defeat, losing 0-1 in Paris, on the 26th March. You may remember Owen's hat trick against Germany in Munich in 2001, which helped take England to the World Cup and also the opener against Brazil in the World Cup quarter-final, but yet another agonising defeat, 1-2 in Shizuoka, Japan.
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