20 years after winning the Golden Boot for finishing top scorer in the 1986 World Cup, one former England hero gives his rundown on the strikers to watch over the next four weeks

Michael Owen

National team: England
Club: Newcastle United
Age: 26
International Caps: 75
International Goals: 35

I think he’ll definitely become England’s record goalscorer if he stays fit. He’s the same age now as I was in Mexico when I won the Golden Boot. I like Michael, he is a good lad, and I hope he smashes his way past the 48 goals I scored for England. If there is one player in the modern game who plays in a similar way to me, it is Michael.

The fact he’s missed games for Newcastle could work to his advantage, as he could be the freshest of all the Golden Boot contenders.

There is no doubt over his talent or finishing ability. He is only interested in scoring goals. Whenever people have asked about his pace and sharpness in the past, he has returned with a bang and there is no reason to suspect he won’t do so again.

I think he enjoys playing with Wayne Rooney. Rooney will drop deep and beat people, and he spots things ahead of him. It’s reminiscent of when I played with Peter Beardsley or the way Teddy Sheringham was a foil for Alan Shearer. There is the potential to blend.

To be brutally honest though, Michael won’t be concerned with who he plays with. He will just want his fitness. If he’s got that, he will be okay. He has scored goals in major championships before.

Ronaldo

National team: Brazil
Club: Real Madrid
Age: 29
International Caps: 91
International Goals: 58

I can’t leave him out even if he’s been short of form and confidence this season. He has bounced back from adversity before and at 29 he’s certainly not too old to do it again.

I remember four years ago that Brazil’s skill and style was evident in abundance and they deservedly lifted a record fifth World Cup. All the talk was of their triple-pronged ‘three Rs’ strike attack, but that was the tournament where Ronaldo shone. He scored eight times in the tournament last time around, equalling Pele’s career tally of 12 World Cup goals and leaving him just two behind Gerd Muller’s all-time record of 14 World Cup goals. And his brace in the final in 2002 helped erase the memories of his disastrous appearance in the 1998 final.

Thierry Henry

National team: France
Club: Arsenal
Age: 28
International Caps: 76
International Goals: 31

The French have a relatively easy draw and if they can go on a run in this World Cup it will be because of him. He is absolutely top drawer. He seems to be getting better and better.

He is the ultimate striker. He is unbelievably quick, athletic, beats people like they are not there and can score from close range or 30 yards. In fact, I’ve noticed he is scoring more ‘striker’s goals’ than he used to. As if he didn’t have enough other talents!

He is a sublime footballer really and a wonderful finisher. I would say he is the best all-round striker the Premiership has ever seen. Ruud van Nistelrooy might be his closest rival but he scores as many goals as Ruud and does the other stuff as well.

On a personal level, I love watching him play. He is simply a breathtaking talent and it’s not often a goalscorer has so many creative qualities as well. It is quite a combination. I’ve met him a few times and I’ve found him a lovely guy, very charming and impressive.

The irony is that his attitude is quite unlike most strikers. They wouldn’t be happy walking off the pitch without a goal even if their team had won 3-0. Henry would be happy and chances are he would have set up all three goals. You wouldn’t see Van Nistelrooy taking a corner but Henry does.

He is a different animal: he doesn’t live and breathe to score goals, even though he does score in huge quantities. Henry gets satisfaction by beating three men and squaring it for a team-mate. God knows how many he would score if he was a selfish striker, but he doesn’t think like that.

Ronaldinho

National team: Brazil
Club: Barcelona
Age: 26
International Caps: 60
International Goals: 27

I must confess I’ve had a few quid on him being the top scorer. He’s always scored goals throughout his career and he will probably take most of Brazil’s free-kicks and penalties. He is unquestionably the best player in the world. Brazil have a great side and within that they have the best player, Ronaldinho.

We have seen a lot of him for Barcelona in the last two seasons and he has been instrumental in helping them win two Spanish league titles in a row. He scores goals and plays with a smile on his face and is a great ambassador for football in general. You can always expect something special from him when he plays, and he averages almost a goal every other game for Barcelona and Brazil, which is a fantastic record.

Ruud van Nistelrooy

National team: Holland
Club: Manchester United
Age: 28
International Caps: 38
International Goals: 18

He is a top-class goalscorer and playing in a decent Dutch side that could have a good run in the tournament. All he cares about is scoring goals.

He is a box player, pure and simple. He plays like I used to: hold the ball up, give it and get into the box as quick as you can. He makes runs into the penalty area and when he gets a chance he usually buries it.

He is a terrific finisher: it is vital in those situations to keep a cool head and Ruud is one of the best around at doing that. He is the sort of player who will be as miserable as sin if he doesn’t score – and that attitude usually makes for a lot of goals.

Wayne Rooney

National team: England
Club: Manchester United
Age: 20
International Caps: 29
International Goals: 11

If England go all the way, it will be largely down to this man. He is such a wonderful player and lifts himself for the big stage, as he did at Euro 2004 when he scored four goals before getting injured.

I believe he is potentially the best England player of my lifetime. I have to stress the word ‘potential’ because there are a lot of dangers Wayne has to go through in his life, a lot of temptations and risks out there. But ability-wise, there is no doubting him – he has it all.

It’s astonishing but he has come straight into the England team and often been the best player on the pitch. My first view of him live was against Turkey at the Stadium of Light. I was taken aback to be honest, it took my breath away because I couldn’t believe how good he was. The things he did, his poise, his awareness and his skill.

This kid is potentially a superstar. You don’t want to go too far but it’s an extremely long time since England has had one of the real greats in world football. It would be nice to see him go on to do that: he is capable of it.

He has to live properly, look after himself and not get carried away with his success. If he can do that and knuckle down and work hard, the possibilities are endless. There is a fine line between super-confidence, which is a good thing, and recklessness. You have to find where that line is.

Rooney has already transgressed it occasionally at club level but you hope he will learn and be well-guided. The pleasing thing is that he has controlled himself for England. I think he is potentially the best England player of my lifetime. We have had Bobby Charlton and since then people like Bryan Robson, John Barnes. They were world-class players but not what I would describe as a true great like Michel Platini or Johan Cruyff.

Wayne is very young, of course, and you can’t be sure what he will achieve in the game. But I think he could reach the level of Zinedine Zidane. The natural ability is there.

(Statistics correct as of 1 May 2006)