‘We Can’t Take Premier League Abroad, But…’: Michael Owen Makes Bold Claim

Michael Owen has worked as a Premier League presenter (Picture credit: AFP)

Former Liverpool striker Michael Owen has said that the Premier League is doing a great job in spreading its popularity across the world, adding that while the league cannot be taken abroad, the league can do as much as it can to spread itself in different nations.

The Premier League enjoys huge popularity in India, but growing collaborations between Indian entities and European clubs have sparked concerns that the nation is being treated as a cash grab.

Owen, visiting India for Premier League India Engagement Week, says that the league’s outreach goes beyond mere branding exercises.

“Obviously, the Premier League has a huge role to play. It is probably the biggest league in the world, the best league in the world. It has got the most eyeballs in the world. I think having those idols and people that, you know, young children can look up to is important,” Owen said while speaking exclusively at the Star Sports Press Room.

“We can, you know, bring ex-players out. We can bring the trophy out. We can make it feel and people see, you know, what the Premier League is all about. So, of course, we cannot lift the Premier League and bring it to different countries, but we do as much as we can to touch a lot of different countries,” Owen added.

Renowned for his pace, instincts and goal-scoring prowess, the former Liverpool striker notes that modern football emphasises athleticism over technique. Does this mean players like Erling Haaland now have an edge over creative maestros like Kevin De Bruyne?

“Well, life evolves, everything evolves. Football evolves, obviously, slightly different to maybe when I played and even more of a difference from maybe 50 years ago and 100 years ago,” Owen said.

“We know that technology plays a big part in everybody’s life at the moment and that is no different in football. So data and things like that are used. So I think football is no different to many walks of life, for that matter,” Owen added.

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