Liverpool's Michael Owen has scooped the European Footballer of the Year award, beating Real Madrid's Raul and Bayern Munich's Oliver Kahn to the prestigious title. The 22-year-old striker claimed the award by 36 votes from the Spaniard to become the sixth British winner of the award since its inception in 1956.
The Anfield hit-man finished top of the annual poll of football journalists conducted by France Football after helping his club to five trophies in the last twelve months, while also netting a sensational hat-trick in England's magnificent 5-1 victory over Germany in Munich last September.
The Liverpool striker polled 176 votes to 140 for Raul and 114 for Bayern Munich stopper Kahn. David Beckham, runner-up to Figo in the World Footballer of the Year award announced earlier, finished fourth, while the Portuguese international was placed sixth.
Top Ten: 1 Michael Owen (England) (176 points)2 Raul (Spain) (140) 3 Oliver Kahn (Germany) (114) 4 David Beckham (England) (102)5 Francesco Totti (Italy) (57) 6 Luis Figo (Portugal) (56) 7 Rivaldo (Brazil) (20)8 Andrei Shevchenko (Ukraine) (18)9 Thierry Henry (France) (14)9 Zinedine Zidane (France) (14)
Others: 14 Henrik Larsson (Sweden) (4)16 Juan Sebastian Veron (Argentina) (3)18 Sami Hyypia (Finland) (2)25 Steven Gerrard (England) (1)
Filed by Shane Murray
