Former England striker Michael Owen has opened up about the memorable 1998 World Cup moment when David Beckham received a red card.
During that match, Owen had scored a spectacular solo goal. However, Beckham's straight red card for kicking out at Simeone added a dramatic twist to the game. Despite England's efforts, the South American side ultimately triumphed in the penalty shootout.
According to the Mirror, Owen wrote in 2019: "The fallout from David Beckham’s infamous red card against Argentina was still being felt some years later. I’ll start by saying that David and I always got on well on a personal level. He was obviously a very talented player."
"I always admired him massively because I always felt that nobody, I repeat, nobody, worked harder than David to maximise the talent he did have. But after that World Cup in France, few would argue that his and my paths were different. I became the darling of English football for a period of time whereas he became the villain."
"The general feeling in the dressing room immediately after the match was that there was nothing to say about him getting sent off. What could any of us have said to him that would have changed anything? The damage was done."
"Whether I thought his actions lost us the game or not didn’t matter," he added. "For me, at that time, it was about hierarchy and standing. I was just a junior member of that squad. I was really just a kid."
