Hard work is paying off for Owen

Last updated : 19 March 2004 By Kevin Smith
"It was obviously something I had to improve on," said the Liverpool striker.

"When you have got incredible crossers of the ball like Steven Gerrard in the side it is vital that you are able to take advantage.

"With the quality of crosses coming in it's a dream for any striker and it doesn't matter whether you are tall or not when the balls are that good. It's all about timing.

"When I was younger I looked at my game and decided the things I needed to improve on were my left foot and my heading.

"I've worked really hard on both and it's paying off."