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Michael Owen’s two goals in Carling Cup victory over Leeds this week has had some suggesting that the Manchester United striker might be due a recall to the England team. Not among them, however, is the Life’s A Pitch panel, which feels that Owen’s days in an England shirt are most definitely over.

John Cross of the Daily Mirror believes that the Man Utd No. 7 no longer plays to the standard required to be considered for England. ”Michael Owen was a great striker for England,” he says. “[But] I’m afraid that that phase of his career has gone for me. He doesn’t start the big Champions League games, he doesn’t start the big Premier League games, but scores two goals in the Carling Cup and there’s suddenly a clamour for a recall. I’m sorry, but it’s far fetched beyond belief.”

Martin Lipton, also of the Daily Mirror can see how the lure of trophies would keep Owen at Man Utd, but he feels that leaving for regular football would have been the obvious decision to make. “I understand what he’s doing,” he says. “If I were him I’d be looking elsewhere and playing more regularly. He’s still got enough in him to score goals. But he will argue, ‘I’ve won the league. All the rest of my time I didn’t win a title – go to United and I get a champions’ medal. It’s worth my while’.”

That Owen chooses to stay at Old Trafford despite playing so rarely is a mystery to many, but Tom Hopkinson of The People says if the arrangement suits Sir Alex Ferguson then that’s all that matters. “He’s played for some of the biggest clubs in the world, he’s done very, very well,” says Tom. “And Fergie gives him time to go and race his horses, and he has other jobs that he likes to do as well. So, I don’t think you can argue with a man taking that.”

Related articles:

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Alexander Netherton: Anderson looks to banish thoughts of Sneijder

Ethan Dean-Richards: The United players poised to come out of Ferguson’s shadow 

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