Michael Owen hopeful summer of success represents a bright new future for England's national teams

England have a long and painful history of crumbling under pressure at national football tournaments, but Owen is daring to dream of a bright new future

Owen is well aware of the pressures of tournament football

Michael Owen believes that the positive vibes within England’s women and underage sides throughout this summer could represent a new future for the country’s national teams, in contrast to the extreme pressure his teams suffered from at tournaments.

Mark Sampson’s squad have reached the semi-final of the Women’s Euro 2017 competition in the Netherlands to follow on from the men’s victory in the under-20 World Cup in Korea in June and, watching on closely as a pundit in Holland, Owen has been struck by the confidence running through the groups.

That marks a distinctive change from the “fear” he says consumed some of his teammates in the five men’s international tournaments he played in between 1998 and 2006, pointing to how players would be obsessed with how they were perceived.

Owen has noticed none of that with Sampson’s side ahead of their semi-final with hosts Holland on Thursday, and has instead been impressed by how they rightfully see themselves as favourites and appear emboldened by that.

“I was there first hand for the first game, against Scotland [a 6-0 win], and I couldn’t believe the feeling among the squad, the confidence, they almost felt like they were going to win it,” Owen said in an interview to promote McDonald’s sponsorship of the women’s Euros.

“You’re talking to them before the game and interviewing them after, and then you watch the manager doing interviews, and he’s sort of saying ‘well we don’t even have to play to our best against France and we’ll win’, and it’s like, it’s brilliant, it’s quite refreshing to hear it and to see it, and I know they put in a lot of time and preparation… but I think now I feel like they’re one of the best and they’re confident going in, and every right to be.

Owen is hopeful of a new future for England's national team (Getty)

“So I definitely think the girls will be thinking they’re the favourites in this game even though they’re [the Dutch] on home soil.”

Asked whether the mood around the team is different to the intense pressure of some of his sides, Owen said “it’s definitely fair”.

“There’s no question… I’ve grown up watching someone missing a penalty and being on a pizza advert, and then the next manager loses a game, and he’s got a turnip on his head, then the next one does something wrong and he’s got an effigy, and I’ve grown up almost seeing all this, and not being scarred because I didn’t think I was one of the players who used to get nervous under pressure but I certainly know a lot of players that did, I’ve certainly sat on an England bus after a game and someone saying ‘oh no, I’m going to get a four out of 10 in the paper tomorrow and everyone’s going to have a go at me.’

England have enjoyed a successful summer (Getty)

“And you just can’t… I mean, I was just startled at what some players were saying. Everyone’s got their own explanation on England in the last 20 years, I’ve got no hesitation in saying that people were just scared, people were worried, people were worried about what people would say what people would do, how they’d be perceived…

"I certainly don’t [see that with the women’s team]. They’ve got nothing to fear from past experiences. I grew up in a culture of pointing a figure at the person who missed a penalty, or the person who gave away a free, and not just pointing a finger but going to the extremes in all the papers and everything.

"I don’t think anyone else has been scarred necessarily, but I think my generation probably were. And again we were talking when we got beaten by Iceland [2-1 at Euro 2016], I was watching players do things that I’d never seen, really, not even in a park. People were trying to control a ball and literally missing the ball, and then just kicking it out of play when they’re trying to pass it. You don’t ever see this, and it just shows you the pressure and the fear, probably the fear, that you can get in these tournaments.

England celebrate winning the U20 World Cup (Getty)

"I don’t think the women have got that at all, and I don’t think the young teams have got it. I’d hope it can [represent a new future].

“With the junior teams and the ladies’ teams we’re having the most unbelievable year, and I think it might take a bit of time to get that monkey off the men’s teams back."

Michael Owen is helping McDonald’s celebrate 15 years of its Community Football Programme and its longstanding commitment to inclusivity. For more information on McDonald’s sponsorship of the UEFA Women’s EURO 2017™ visit mcdonalds.co.uk/betterplay