Michael Owen, the 46-year-old football legend, recently appeared on Jamie Laing's Great Company podcast and engaged in a humorous game of "s**g, marry, avoid" with fellow footballers Wayne Rooney, Gary Lineker, and Alan Shearer.
When asked to choose from the trio, Owen decided he would marry Rooney, but cautioned that the union would likely end in divorce. "I'll marry Waza. I certainly won't want to s**g him. Bit too hairy for me. He's so funny. He is such a good laugh," Owen explained. He added, "I don't think it would go too well. I think we would break up. A bit too much alcohol I think," referencing Rooney's past openness about his struggles with alcohol.
Owen then stated he would sg Gary Lineker and avoid Alan Shearer. He commented on the difficulty of the question, noting, "Three good strikers though. It's not a nice question, is it? I'm not bothered about the avoid anything. I'm just picturing the s****g bit."
Each of the three players has had a distinguished football career. Michael Owen scored 150 Premier League goals and 40 goals for England, playing for clubs such as Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Manchester United. Wayne Rooney holds the record as Manchester United's all-time leading goal scorer with 253 goals. Alan Shearer is recognized as the Premier League's all-time top goal scorer with 260 goals and has since become a sports pundit. Gary Lineker, a former Leicester City player, famously completed his 16-year career without receiving a yellow or red card and has had a prominent television career, including presenting Match Of The Day for 26 years.
Elsewhere in the interview, Owen also discussed his parenting style, confessing that he has never explicitly told his children he loves them. The former England star, who has four children with his wife Louise, explained that he believes his actions demonstrate his love. "I never ever tell my kids I love them. I don't say anything like that. I just assume my actions would show them that I love them. It's a bad thing. I think most of us are like that," he said.
His comments were met with a response from podcast host Jamie Laing, who stated, "It's not a good thing. It's not healthy." Owen acknowledged this but questioned the impact of constant affirmations, suggesting he prefers a "tough love" approach. He added that he is becoming softer with age and hopes to express his emotions more readily in the future.