I couldn't care less.
Owen had footballing talent in abundance and was a joy to watch but once that initial exiting flush of innocent and precocious youth went after his first serious injury, he then seemed to branch into other areas, and perhaps excelled above all in looking after number 1, and in later years perfecting his ability to wangle staggering sums of money for questionable old rope.
I expect he's a very personable chap to know, but I can't help but sometimes think that despite protestations to the contrary, any regret he may have over his lack of medals or England appearances is not primarily as a sportsman, but at missed business opportunities to increase his brand Owen sponsorship and advertising revenue, and every statement that I have ever heard from him simply seems carefully crafted and caged to primarily ensure the retention of public sympathy for the St Michael.
So it is unlikely I will ever shed a tear at his lack of medals or the 'wasted' career of a man who can comfortably go to sleep on a mattress stuffed with £100 notes dreaming of his extensive property and racing stables portfolio and wondering were he'll fly his helicopter to next.
Unless he's spectacularly dim behind the facade and has poor financial advice or his gambling habit is as rumoured, unlike the rest of us, his children and possibly grandchildren will need never do an honest days hard work in their privileged lives. Most of us would deem that as pretty wildly successful.
I think he should simply retire gracefully and stop getting people excited at the (im?)possibility of him ever really recapturing that fantastic magic period of his youth before the patience wears too thin and the good memories are irrevocably tainted, and now concentrate purely on enjoying his considerable wealth and his horses and other trappings in secluded anonymity.
