(Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

The shine has undoubtedly worn off; and the bright light that once shone so brightly through the career of Michael Owen has dimmed as he finds himself caught between one troublesome moment and the next in the soap opera that has become the story of Newcastle United.

Nothing will bring this home more to Owen, 29, than the sight of his former England teammates, some of them colleagues and compatriots for many years, taking to the Wembley surface tonight without him.

It has been a long time in the international wilderness for Michael Owen; his last appearance for England was in the friendly defeat against France over a year ago. Since then Owen has been beset with injuries, a subsequent loss of form, and as a result has yet to reappear on the international stage.

This represents a marked decline in the former wunderkind's career, a career whose stellar beginning saw Owen pencilled in by many as one of the world’s finest strikers, and surely an inevitable heir to Bobby Charlton’s throne as England’s all-time highest goalscorer. Even now that target is well within his reach as he has 40 international goals, only nine behind Charlton’s record.

But the problem for Owen is clearly not one regarding his record or reputation but is simply one regarding the reality which he finds himself in.

Owen has, for one reason or another—be it age or excessive injuries to his fragile hamstrings—lost many of the virtues which marked him out as one of England’s finest prospects.

Blistering pace used to be one of Owen's greatest virtues, but has inevitably declined with age and repeated injuries. The loss of such a weapon hampers Owen because it was such a hallmark of his game. No longer can he be relied upon to break the off-side traps of teams to such devastating effect as he once did.

But another issue, and perhaps the most fundamental one, is that even Owen's confidence and assuredness in front of goal, the attribute that he could rely on even in his leaner times, has seemingly gone. 

There is no longer the assertfulness in his play to force an opening, no confidence in front of goal.

One of the sadder aspects of Newcastle’s tragic demise is that Owen, throughout their fall, was on the periphery, and failed to score in his last 12 outings for the club. He was even dropped for their final game of the season, such was the lack of faith in his once famed ability to change a match.

Owen is now available on a free transfer but whereas once every team from around the world would have queued day and night for his services, there are now precious few suitors breaking down his door, and the dream of playing Champions League football appears beyond him.

One must hope for Owen that a new start will mean redemption and rehabilitation, and a chance to rebuild what was a once great career. But it will involve putting in the hard yards, proving himself to be more than just a rabbit killer, but a vanquisher of opponents of the highest order still.

Indeed perhaps he could use the example of his old team-mate Raul, whose own revival—in November 2008, he scored his 300th goal for Real Madrid—has been a remarkable return for a man whose career appeared to be on the wane.

Then and only then, through his own perseverance and hard work, Owen may get the chance to prove his critics wrong and once more force his way back into the England side.

What do you think? Can Owen return from the international wilderness? Or is now the time to start remembering him for what he once was for England, and everything he achieved? Leave your comments below!

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