Theo is our new Owen

RIO FERDINAND was forced to go back more than a decade to think of a player anything like Theo Walcott. A player with the same pace, who shrugs off opponents like an old coat. Someone who homes in on the target like a guided missile. A striker who scores goals in big games. And then it came to him. “Theo knows what he’s good at — and Michael Owen was exactly the same,” said Ferdinand, hitting the target like an Owen shot. “I was with Michael the whole time at the 98 World Cup and you just knew he knew that he was a good player and what he was good at. “And that’s the thing about Michael Owen — especially at that time. “He was quick, direct and could score a goal and that’s what you could see from him. “You are seeing the same with Theo now — different players, but the same mentality.” Owen, of course, exploded on to the world... [read full story]