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Michael Owen says players being hit by fear factor when turning out for England

Image: Michael Owen: Doesn't believe players can express themselves for England

Michael Owen claims the main reason behind England's lack of success is due to players being hit by the fear factor when turning out for their country.

Owen revealed players feel the pressure of playing for the Three Lions, especially when it came to knockout football. He added: "To the man in the street, it all looks very rosy. Everything looks pretty rosy about being a professional footballer in many ways. "It ain't easy playing for England. The pressure of playing for England, the time spent away from your families, or whomever it might be, the tournaments. "The fans would see you on an evening playing and then forget about you for the rest of the week. "They're the times when you're sat in your hotel room staring at four white walls for 10 hours a day for about three or four days. "It's a long, long stint and it's quite mentally draining." Owen denied England meant less to players now than in the past and, despite his reservations, was still keen to add to his caps. He joked: "Some people think I've retired from football full stop. "I'd never do that, really. But I certainly don't go to bed thinking 'I'm going to be playing for England again'. "It certainly would be a bonus. It would mean that I would need to get back on the pitch and rediscover my deadly goalscoring touch and everything else."

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