NO MATTER what the public said in France, as far as Michael Owen is concerned, the European project is a viable proposition. Many doubted that the England forward would give a resounding “yes” to his first season at Real Madrid, particularly with Liverpool, his former club, winning the European Cup, but Owen is not on the side of the sceptics. He has enjoyed the experience and is content with it.

Rumours persist that Owen is eager to return to the Barclays Premiership and while it is true that interest from Manchester United or another leading English club may tempt the 25-year-old to leave Spain, he is not agitating for a transfer. He has not established himself as a consistent member of Real’s starting XI, but he believes that that could yet be a source of comfort to Sven-Göran Eriksson.

“In England we’ve had the manager campaigning for a winter break, fewer games and more rest before World Cups,” Owen said before England’s friendly match against Colombia last night. “Then you’ve got a player like me who started over 30 games this year for club and country and came on in 20 others. If that happened to me next year, I’m sure you won’t get the manager (Eriksson) complaining.

“You always want to be greedy and want to be playing as much as you can, but if I do exactly the same next year I would be going into the World Cup in good condition. I feel fine. If you play 50 or 60 games and go into a World Cup or European Championship, you can feel tired and not produce your best. Likewise, if you only play five or ten games, you don’t have the edge you need. It’s not even an issue for me.”

Owen’s struggle to impose himself on a team spearheaded by Ronaldo and Raúl has resulted in a flurry of speculation over his future — Newcastle United were informed some time ago that he will not be joining them — but his position is more dependent on Real’s plans and his part in them. While the team failed to claim the league title, Owen is adamant that he has been successful.

“There’s been a lot written and spoken, but my situation is fine,” he said. “I’ve played a lot of games this season, I’m getting more used to the language and living there and I feel I’ve had a good season. Of course, we didn’t win anything, and for a club like Real Madrid that has to be rectified next year. There has been plenty of speculation, but I’m happy in Madrid.

“I don’t see it as a topsy- turvy season at all. People were asking me why I’d go from being first choice at Liverpool to fourth choice at Real, but I’ve never believed in taking the easy option. If anybody has watched the season overall, I think they would say I’ve been a success at Real Madrid. I started the last ten games, which were important ones as we tried to get back into the championship. It’s been good.”

Owen insisted that you could “count on the fingers of one hand” the number of players who would turn down the chance to join Real. “If anybody goes to watch a game there you’d understand why anyone would want to join them,” he said. “It’s a fantastic team with unbelievable players, the stadium holds 85,000 people and they have incredibly modern training facilities.

“I would have regretted it all my life if I hadn’t gone to experience playing in a different country, learning a different language and a different kind of football. There are many different things that make you more rounded as a person and a player. There are no regrets on my side at all.”

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