SOCCER/International news: The tradition in Spain is for white handkerchiefs, panuelos, to be fluttered in appreciation of moments of sporting excellence, writes Daniel Taylor in Madrid.
Michael Owen has seen a lot of that recently, with six goals in his previous eight games for Real Madrid the perfect riposte to those who believed him to be a galoot among Galacticos.
It was not that long ago Owen faced rigorous questioning not only about whether Real would write him off as a mistake, but whether Sven-Goran Eriksson would persist with him in the national team. A goal in each of his last four La Liga games, plus impressive contributions to England's wins against Wales and Azerbaijan, have done much to puncture that debate.
Owen radiated confidence yesterday and his burst of form has been so illuminating it almost feels predestined he will score in England's friendly with Spain at the Bernabeu tomorrow. "I don't want to say I told you so . . . but I did," he said. "You can trawl through any of my old quotes: I always said I would fight to the death to be a success here. I've never shirked a challenge; I've always been confident and felt totally at ease with myself. There has never been one moment, even privately, when I thought I had made a mistake coming here.
"I'm confident of scoring goals to the day I retire," he said. "But when you start at a club like Madrid it's a bit like being the new boy in class. You make a mistake and you think: 'Oh my God, everyone saw that'. The only way you lose that is through time."
Owen was asked whether he could beat Bobby Charlton's all-time scoring record of 49 for England. He is on 28 and, a month shy of his 25th birthday, time is on his side. "It's something I would dearly love but it won't be easy," he said. "It would mean staying in the team for five or six years and scoring regularly. But, yes, I'm after that record."
Contrary to reports Davis Beckham might terminate his England career after the 2006 World Cup, the England captain is keen to put himself among the national team record breakers. Tomorrow's friendly will be his 77th appearance, and he may surpass the resonant figure of 100 caps.
"I said (2006) possibly could be my last World Cup, but I'm hoping it's not," Beckham said. "I want to go on playing for England for as long as I can. I set a target for myself when I was given the captaincy to reach the record of an idol of mine and my dad's, Sir Bobby Charlton. And Bobby Moore's record."
Charlton and Moore were, respectively, selected on 106 and 108 occasions. The 29-year-old Beckham will probably have to press on to Euro 2008 at least if he is to outdo them. Peter Shilton, with the longevity of a goalkeeper, had a tally of 125 caps that is surely beyond reach.
