Rooney and Owen set for Merseyside derby

Michael Owen, used to the tag of being English soccer's most exciting young striker, may find himself upstaged by an even more…

Michael Owen, used to the tag of being English soccer's most exciting young striker, may find himself upstaged by an even more precocious talent in today's Merseyside derby.

Having turned 23 last Saturday, Liverpool's frontman is positively middle-aged compared to 17-year-old Wayne Rooney, the Everton sensation who is currently the talk of English football.

Rooney exploded on to the scene this season when his audacious long-range goal ended champions Arsenal's 10-month unbeaten premier league run in October.

Although he may not even start the match at Anfield on Sunday, Everton manager David Moyes is likely to turn to him at some stage and, judging by his displays so far, the youngster will not be fazed.

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Rooney was still 16 when his sweetly-struck 25-metre shot embarrassed 39-year-old Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman in the dying seconds at Goodison Park on October 19, ending the Londoners' 30-game unbeaten league run.

That goal alone was probably the reason Rooney won the BBC's Young Sports Personality of the Year award. His appearance at the ceremony in London, with tie loosened and chewing gum lodged in his cheek, reminded everyone just how young he still is.

Everton manager David Moyes is well aware of the dangers of over-exposing his prodigy who is banned from giving media interviews and used sparingly as a substitute.

"He's more mature as a footballer than as a person," Moyes told his club's website this week.

"Between 17 and 20 is an age when you don't want to be in the spotlight. It is a period where we want to try to take his adolescence away from him; to deny him the opportunity to do the sort of things everyone else has done at that age.

"I don't think he's got a big ego. He's very down to earth and just wants to be left alone and we have to be careful how we continue to watch his development."

Superb winners against Leeds United and Blackburn Rovers have confirmed Rooney hero status, although the early signs are that Everton's wonderkid is a different type of player to Owen.

Both have an instinctive eye for goal. But whereas Owen relies on electric pace and cool finishing for most of his goals, Rooney possesses more sleight of foot, relying on balance and trickery to fool opponents.

It may be that Rooney ends up playing a link role between midfield and attack, in the mould of Manchester United's Paul Scholes, rather than as an out-and-out-striker.

Owen will be under a great deal more pressure than his younger pretender.

The striker has netted a healthy 15 goals in Liverpool's erratic season, which they started by romping clear at the top of the league table.

Now, after five defeats and a draw in their last six league games, Liverpool are mired in their worst league run for 19 years and down to fifth in the table, a place behind Everton.

The England striker's eye for goal has long been Liverpool's most lethal weapon but his record in Merseyside derbies is relatively poor.

Owen has scored only once in eight appearances against Everton -- from the penalty spot in last season's 3-1 win at Goodison Park.

Wednesday's thrilling 4-3 League Cup quarter-final win over Aston Villa lifted spirits at Anfield. With 44 international caps and two World Cups behind him, Owen knows confidence is the key ingredient Liverpool need to rediscover.

"Individuals can lose confidence at different times of the season and then there's the team confidence that goes with it," he told Liverpool's website last week.

"If too many players are not on form at the same time then the team is going to suffer."