Michael Owen has claimed that there was "a long list" of England players who were paralysed by fear when turning out for their country.

Owen, who earned 89 caps between 1998 and 2008, revealed he knew of international team-mates who were scared stiff of criticism of their performances and of being jeered by their own fans.
The 32-year-old felt that was a major reason why England had underperformed in recent years.
Speaking at the Leaders in Football conference at Stamford Bridge, the Stoke striker said: "I've heard many people in the past leading up to England games or after England games talking about what the papers are going to say the next day about them, or how they're going to get booed.
"It's a very intense feeling playing for your country and I don't think people can express themselves, or I don't think people do express themselves, as well as they can or they do at club level.
"At that level, you feel loved, the fans are on your side, you're used to playing with the players week in, week out.
"All of a sudden, you go away with England and it's a little bit, 'As long as I do all right', 'I don't want to be criticised so much'.
"There's certainly a bit of fear.
"There would be players out there who play equally as well for England - or any national team - as they do for their clubs.
"But there are a long list of players that you think, 'why can't you play as well for England as you do for the clubs?'
"There's got to be a reason and I would say that fear certainly plays a part in that."
He added: "To the man in the street, it all looks very rosy. Everything looks pretty rosy about being a professional footballer in many ways.
"It ain't easy playing for England. The pressure of playing for England, the time spent away from your families, or whomever it might be, the tournaments.
"The fans would see you on an evening playing and then forget about you for the rest of the week.
"They're the times when your sat in your hotel room staring at four white walls for 10 hours a day for about three or four days.
"It's a long, long stint and it's quite mentally draining."
Owen denied England meant less to players now than in the past and, despite his reservations, was still keen to add to his caps.
He joked: "Some people think I've retired from football full stop.
"I'd never do that, really. But I certainly don't go to bed thinking 'I'm going to be playing for England again'.
"It certainly would be a bonus. It would mean that I would need to get back on the pitch and rediscover my deadly goalscoring touch and everything else."

England host San Marino in a 2014 World Cup qualifier on Friday night and TEAMtalk's Rob McCarthy picks his team for the game at Wembley.

With Roy Hodgson's men ranked 202 places above opponents who boast accountants, bank clerks and students in their squad, a win should be a foregone conclusion. But with skipper Steven Gerrard and full-back Glen Johnson banned and John Terry now retired there are a few spots up for grabs.
Here is my team for the game (4-4-1-1):
Joe Hart: An obvious pick who shouldn't have a great deal to do. His distribution is likely to be more important than his ability to keep a clean sheet.
Kyle Walker: With Johnson banned the attacking qualities of Tottenham man Walker are perfect for this game. If he gets within 30 yards of goal expect him to have a crack.
Gary Cahill: Although he is not a regular starter for Chelsea, I'm a big fan of Cahill's pace and how he reads the game. He should be a regular starter now that Terry has quit international football.
Michael Carrick: A slightly left-field pick but the central defenders are likely to have more time on the ball than anyone and it makes sense to play someone with Carrick's passing ability at the back. He has played there for Manchester United and is unlikely to have a great deal of defending to do.
Leighton Baines: I'd go for Baines over Cole for two reasons, the first being that I personally believe that Cole should be dropped for a game after his Twitter outburst. It sits uncomfortably with me that the Chelsea man could win his 100th cap against Poland next Tuesday having said what he said about the FA.
I still believe Cole is England's best left-back but he needs to be taught a bit of respect. I also think that Baines' set piece in and around the box could come in very handy against a shaky defence.
Aaron Lennon: With Walker starting it makes sense that his Tottenham team-mate Lennon is used in tandem down the right. Lennon is in good form this season and his ability to beat a man will be crucial against a packed defence.
Frank Lampard: Assuming he is fit, the Chelsea veteran should skipper the side and will fancy his chances of improving his goal tally against the minnows. However, if Lampard is sidelined I'd go for the workrate of James Milner in his favoured position ahead of the inexperienced Jonjo Shelvey.
Tom Cleverley: Has looked good when he has played for Manchester United this season and has impressed in fits and starts for England. Should enjoy getting on the ball and making England tick.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain: The Ox is now an automatic England pick for me. He is still a little raw but has more of a football brain than Theo Walcott and should be able to unlock San Marino's backline.
Wayne Rooney: Since coming back from that nasty cut on his leg, the Manchester United hitman has looked a bit more like his old self, albeit in more of a midfield role. I'd like to see him given a free role off the striker and take the game by the scruff of the neck against inferior opponents.
Andy Carroll: Jermain Defoe has been in terrific form for Tottenham this season, and has done well for England in recent games, but I want the San Marino defence to know they've been in a game right from the first whistle and Carroll fits the bill perfectly after his recent return from injury. Defoe could also profit from a tiring visiting defence late in the game.

Former Football Association chairman Lord Triesman has hit out at the decision to ban John Terry for only four matches for racist abuse

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Chelsea captain Terry was handed the suspension and a £220,000 fine after being found guilty of using a racist slur towards Anton Ferdinand by an independent FA regulatory commission.
The ban was half of that given to Liverpool striker Luis Suarez for racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra.
The FA commission said Terry had been given a lesser ban because the "racist insult was issued only once", as opposed to repeated use by Suarez.
But Lord Triesman told the BBC: "It may be when you look at all the detail they thought there were reasons for [it]. I can't see it."
Terry is due to decide during the international break whether to appeal his guilty verdict.
Lord Triesman added: "He's within his rights to appeal. My own view is that it would be more sensible to apologise and accept it's not a good standard," he said.
"I just don't believe in this day and age that anybody can think that it's okay, and that you don't owe an apology, not least to the other player."

Cole Tweet proves respect is lacking

Last Saturday at Stamford Bridge some Chelsea fans were heard singing: "Ashley Cole - he Tweets when he wants!" Cole turned to applaud the fans making the chant as his side eased past Norwich City 4-1.
Showing respect? Maybe towards those who chanted his name, but it came just hours after his first apology to the Football Association for referring to them on the social network site Twitter, as a "bunch of t****."
Cole published the Tweet in response to the Independent Regulatory Committee findings in the John Terry racial abuse case, where in it they accused Cole of "evolving" his statement in support of Terry's defence.
On Tuesday, the Football Association's new centre of excellence, St George's Park, was officially opened by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. But as the Three Lions crest was pulled from over a plaque to rubberstamp the grand opening, the underlying story was of Cole's latest wrong doing.
Earlier in the day Cole had met with FA chairman David Bernstein to offer a second apology for the offensive Tweet.
The apology was accepted but it is the latest in a long line of controversial mishaps from Cole and once again highlights the growing problem within the national game. Respect! Or, a lack of it.
This is not a witch-hunt against Cole, because let's be honest, it could have been any footballer actively involved with Twitter. Cole is a world class left-back. His performances last season, particularly in the Champions League, were outstanding. He had been outstanding for many years. Ask Cristiano Ronaldo.
But it's off the field where Cole lets himself down. Remember the incident where he fired an air rifle at a work experience student in 2011?
So, when Cole decided to join the social media site Twitter in July 2012, it appeared he was an accident waiting to happen.
The aim of St George's Park is to improve the quality of coaching and player development. But unless the respect levels are raised a couple of notches too, then domestically the Premier League's reputation could take a battering and internationally the country may also face many more disappointing tournaments.
You only have to look at the last World Cup in South Africa to find evidence of this. The fact that players sat in the same changing room didn't see eye to eye wasn't really a problem. It was their inability to pull together in an attempt to win for their country. Unforgivable you could argue, but it all stems from the same level of respect Cole showed when writing his Tweet.
So in this latest case, how do we combat this problem and send out the right message? Prevent Cole from winning his 100th cap? Surely not? In a word, yes, we do!
You can't fine players today because it simply doesn't work, but, a domestic and international ban might go some way to solving the problem.
Cole took to Twitter the following day: "Game time! Can't wait to get back to what I love doing, playing football." Therefore, let's hit him where it hurts: ban him for club and country. If he takes the Terry route and decides to retire from international football then it opens up the chance for someone else to come through.
Cole will get his 100th cap and performances on the pitch say he deserves it. But, after his latest stunt, can't we make him work for it?
Only at the weekend we were talking about players diving. This is not only a problem with the many foreign players who play in the Premier League. Current England internationals Danny Welbeck and Ashley Young have been accused of it in recent months. Again, the diving displays a lack of respect to fellow players.
We have been told to expect to see the benefits of St George's Park in two World Cups time. England can be provided with the best facilities in the world. They can train coaches and players to a standard that enables them to compete and win major tournaments. We can talk about formations, possession, developing our youth. But respect? It's an area in which we fall short.
Let's put the Respect Campaigns on hold for a while and see some evidence of it on the pitch and training field. I don't think anyone is being fooled by players wearing T-shirts during their pre-match stretch. It's time for actions to replace the words and until the powers that be, the Premier League, FA, whoever, take a stand, then I fear we will be having this discussion for many years to come and ultimately our game will suffer - as it currently is.