Owen - blinding pace and fantastic finishing.

Position: Forward
Born: 14.12.79
Club: Liverpool

The current European Footballer of the Year, Michael Owen is perhaps the key to England's World Cup hopes this summer.

His blinding pace and fantastic finishing will strike fear into every defence that Eriksson's men face in the Far East.

Still only a comparitive youngster, Owen has been in the spotlight already for more than four years.

It was at France 98 that he burst on the world stage with a sensational performance in England's second-round defeat by Argentina.

The way he ripped the vaunted Argentina defence apart to score the goal of the tournament made him the hottest property in Europe.

Now he's still in England with Liverpool, and was a major reason they won three trophies last season.

His two goals in the FA Cup final beat Arsenal, and he was also a key man in their UEFA Cup triumph.

It hasn't all been rosy for Owen since 1998, and he's suffered more than his fair share of injury problems, notably with a troublesome hamstring.

But when firing on all cylinders there's nobody better - as proved by that brilliant hat-trick in the amazing 5-1 qualifying win over the old enemy Germany in Munich.

Now comes the biggest test of all for the little man with the big talent.

The one thing that frightens all defenders is pace and Owen has that in abundance.

But in the last year his all-round game has improved no end, and his finishing is simply lethal.

If England can keep him fit for the duration of the finals, expect him to be a star once again.