11 Extremely Talented Premier League Footballers That Were Ruined By Injuries

It would be harsh to suggest that Michael Owen didn't have a fantastic career. He won every major domestic trophy in England, and earned himself a Ballon d'Or back in 2001. The disappointing part of Michael Owen's career was not a matter of unfulfilled potential, more a matter of not sustaining his talent for longer.

In his early years, Owen was one of the most feared forwards on the planet. He scored 158 goals in just 297 games for Liverpool, and his pace, agility and finishing put him among the world's elite. 

Though he had picked up a few injuries in his early years, the first one to appear to stagnate his career was picked up in a World Cup match against Sweden in 2006. Owen was stretchered off after twisted his knee, and scans showed he had torn his ACL. It took him almost a year to recover, with his next competitive game coming in April 2007. Owen never really got back to being a world-class player, scoring 41 goals in 129 appearances after the injury as opposed to the 178 in 353 he had managed beforehand. 

In spite of the time he spent on the treatment table, the England striker should be remembered as one of the best in Premier League history, and the fact he managed 40 international goals in just 89 games is a great tribute to his talent. It's just scary to think how many goals he would have managed had his career not stagnated due to injury.