He’s played for his boyhood idols, skippered England and now turns out for one of the world’s biggest teams.

But Michael Owen admits that he still gets one of his biggest kicks from playing in the World Cup finals.

"It’s a fantastic competition to be in," said Michael. "European Championships are great and if you win one of those you are virtually a World Cup-winner as all the major teams are there, apart from the likes of Brazil and Argentina."

The striker, who has been in the full glare of the spotlight since his surprise transfer from Liverpool to Real Madrid in summer 2004, added: "But there’s nothing like a World Cup. It’s a massive tournament.

"It’s in Germany in 2006 and I think only one team outside of Europe has won a tournament here, so that gives all of the European sides a real advantage."

If England do make the finals and the former Liverpool hit-man is selected for the squad – and only injury should prevent that – Michael will amazingly be turning out in his THIRD finals. And he’ll still be only 26-years-old!

He first hit the headlines when Glenn Hoddle selected him for France 1998 and he scored against Argentina at the age of 18. Now, some 70 international caps later, coach Sven Goran Eriksson still has Michael as one of the first names on his team-sheet.

Michael, who hit a famous hat-trick during the 5-1 World Cup qualifier win against Germany that took England to Japan and Korea in 2002, reckons The Three Lions have a great chance of doing well this time.

"When I look round, unless my eyes are frosty or I need glasses, I wouldn’t swap our team for anyone’s," he said.

"We have as good a chance as any team. We have a good young side – although that doesn’t mean you automatically go on and win it – but there are six or seven teams who are in there and we are one of them.

"This team has grown together. There might be a lot of negative people in England that say ‘we have heard all this before, they think they are going to win,’ but you must remember there is only one team every four years who can win the World cup.

‘Every major nation will be complaining after a championship and there will only be one that is happy. Look at the last European Championships! A lot of the major powers got knocked out in the group phase.

"We got to the quarter-finals of Euro 2004 and to the quarter-finals of the last World Cup, so we are knocking on the door.

"We have got experience of big games. Only one major force can win the tournament, and we are one of those forces."

Since August 2004, Michael has been living in Spain after his £8m move from first club Liverpool and despite what you might have read, he just loves life in the sun.

But it wasn’t easy to start as he had to stay in a hotel with his wife Louise and baby daughter Gemma. However, once he had found somewhere to live and started to make friends, he quickly adapted to life.

Michael has learnt that playing football in La Liga is a totally different experience to the Premiership, where teams travel on the day, or the night before, and kick-off mainly at 3pm.

"In Spain we go to a hotel the day before and stay there all day and play at night, so we can be away four days every week," revealed Michael, who is now England’s fourth highest goal-scorer of all-time.

"If you have visitors from England as well, you are trying to squash everything in to your life. We play every game for Madrid at night and whether it is 7pm or 10pm it is different to England and you have to manage your time properly.

"The squad meet up the day before the game and you have to be in your hotel room for a lot of the time, so they can turn out to be long, tedious days.

"We have DVDs and magazines… they are all welcome and my mum brings a few out for me when she pops over. "They keep me going through those long days. You have to become a master of killing the hours.

"It is different, but obviously life has been built up over the years to cope with being in these types of positions, playing in World Cups and European Championships.

"Mind you, if I was still 15 and you told me I was going to be playing for Real Madrid when I was 25 then I honestly wouldn’t believe you."

A treat now for Michael – other than his regular family visits from home – is when he returns to England to meet up with his international team-mates and his friends from Liverpool days.

"I look forward to that, you see all your good mates and you want to know what is happening back home and at the clubs, so it makes you enjoy England even more.

"When I am away from home I speak regularly to the lads like Steve (Gerrard) and Carra (Jamie Carragher) on the phone but it is nice to see the other players too, those from different clubs," added Michael.

RECORD IN HIS SIGHTS

Michael Owen is well on course to snatch England’s goal-scoring record from Manchester United’s legendary Bobby Charlton.

His hat-trick in last May’s friendly against Colombia lifted the Chester-born hit-man one place higher in the all-time table but he knows it will still take a major effort to reach the top.

"It’s something I would dearly love to get," admits Michael. "I would have to stay in the team for the next five or six years and score regularly, but it’s there and a target to hit.

"Until I get into the 40s, I won’t think it’s realistic.