Source: Team_Talk
Owen refuses to give up England hope
Manchester United striker Michael Owen has not given up hope of playing for England again - but is "not stupid enough to get myself worked up".[LNB] Owen has only started two of United's 10 games this season, but the former Liverpool and Real Madrid star believes he can still prove to be a handful at international level.[LNB]The 30-year-old's last appearance for the Three Lions came as a substitute in a 1-0 defeat to France in March 2008.[LNB]And Owen has been consigned to the international wilderness ever since the game in Paris, with Fabio Capello yet again snubbing the forward from his latest squad.[LNB]The Italian favoured uncapped Bolton striker Kevin Davies for Tuesday's Euro 2012 qualifier against Montenegro at Wembley.[LNB]But the man who has scored 40 goals in 89 appearances for his country insists he has not given up hope of adding to that tally.[LNB]Owen told the Daily Mirror: "I haven't resigned myself to never playing for England again.[LNB]"But I'm not stupid enough to get myself worked up before every squad's announced and then go 'oh no, the world's caved in and I'm not in it again'.[LNB]"Everyone deals with things in different ways. The first time I wasn't named in the squad I was really gutted. The second time I was pretty gutted, the next time I was just gutted and so on.[LNB]"People deal with knockbacks in life, whatever they may be, in different ways. You build up a protective mechanism so it won't hurt you.[LNB]"If someone punches you on the nose, it hurts, so the next time it happens you'll put your hands up or you expect it's coming, so you soften the blow.[LNB]"It's like that with England. It hurt to start with, it hurt a little bit less the second time, and now it doesn't hurt as much. But that doesn't mean I've given up.[LNB]"I'd love to play for my country again, but I don't look out for the squad expecting my name to be in it, unless someone phones me to tell me otherwise."[LNB]Owen is focusing his efforts on winning his place back in the squad after scoring three goals in two games for United and remains a firm supporter of the national side.[LNB]"Unfortunately you can't say a lot of the things you believe, because it will come out the wrong way and be misinterpreted," he added.[LNB]"I still watch England, of course.[LNB]"I still have a lot of friends in the team and you can't play for your country for as long as I did and not still have an interest in how they're doing."
