Owen Bows Out With Grace
Michael Owen, formerly of Saracens, has been forced out of the game and into an early retirement due to injury.
The back row star becomes the latest forced out of the game through no fault of his own. It will be a bitter blow to everyone connected with the player because it appears that he was a hugely popular person and player.
Owen had two operations on his knee since January last year when he had to be carried from the field during a game against Gloucester. Hopes had been high that he would be fit for the next domestic season and able to join ranks with a new club but it appears that it was all a little too much.
Owen has not ruled out a future in the game in some other context and there are many doors of opportunity which remain open to him. However, for now it seems he'll sit back and enjoy the important things in his life before he decides to make his next move.
Injury
The injury Owen suffered was quite a bad one in his right knee. It appears that he damaged an important ligament against Gloucester, which severely restricts any movement. It also causes a great deal of pain and this would have been evident to anyone who viewed the original incident.
The standard of knee surgery is greater than it has ever been and the club would have had Owen treated by the very best at the time. However, each person is different and the rehabilitation affects some in greater ways than it does others.
It is impossible to play with a nagging knee injury in a sport like rugby. This is because the legs are one of the most tested parts of the body. Often great deals of pressure and stress will flow through the legs and this will cause extra strain on that area of the body. Owen is not the first to have a bad knee injury and he won't be the last.
Future
There are a few directions that Owen's future could take and he should not disregard the possibility of becoming a coach at some point in the future. It is clear he is a well liked person, which will make him appealing and approachable as a coach.
The road to becoming a top level coach will be long as there will be many courses and badges that the player has to get before he can coach at even the basic level. The point is that Owen now has all of the time in the world to do this if he chooses to.
Punditry could be his course of action and this is a highly desirable profession in any sport once a player has retired. The only problem here though is that some players are born with a gift for this media work and others aren't. However, it is something which can be worked on if Owen fancies it.
Betting Advice
You won't see Owen in a playing shirt ever again so you need to think about the context of other bets that you can lay. Try and get odds on him for special bets where he may become a Premiership coach within five years. You are more likely to get odds with this kind of angle.
Track his early retirement and any interviews he does because this will give you an indication of the course of action he is likely to take. If you see something shaping up then approach a bookmaker and go for the bet if you can get some odds created.
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