The 2001 Ballon d'Or, given to the best football player in Europe securing 176 points from a panel of sports journalists, was awarded to Michael Owen on 18 December 2001. Owen has become the fourth English national to win the award after Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton and Kevin Keegan. Owen outperformed second-placed Spanish star Raul with 140 points, and German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn finished third with 114 points.
Owen, born on 14th December 1979 in Chester, England, has a career full of titles and accomplishments in football history, whether with the clubs that he played with the jersey, most notably Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid, or the English national team.
He began his professional career on 18 December 1996 signing his first professional contract with the club after spending his youth career in Liverpool's academy.
The English football superstar succeeded in crowning his jersey with six titles: the FA Cup, the League Cup twice, the Charity Shield, the European League, and the European Super Cup.
Owen moved from Liverpool to Real Madrid, who spent a lonely season with him 2004-2005, to return to England again and play in Newcastle United. Then he moved to Manchester United and from there to Stoke City, with whom he concluded his football career in 2013.
The English football superstar won three other club titles with Manchester United, which are: The English Premier League, the English Professional League Cup, and the Football Association Community Shield (formerly the Charity Shield).
He went on to score a total of 40 goals in 89 international appearances with the England national team,, including a memorable hat-trick against Germany in 2001, to rank fifth in the list of the best historical scorers for UK.