Frank Lampard: Michael Owen "deserves very high praise"

England midfielder Frank Lampard has praised the contribution that Michael Owen made during his international career.

The Stoke City striker, who announced that he will retire at the end of the season, scored 40 goals from his 89 appearances for the Three Lions.

"He had a fantastic career. He is the sort of player you are pleased to play alongside. He will go down in England's history as one of our greatest goalscorers so he deserves very high praise," Lampard told reporters. "Without some injury problems he probably would have gone on to break the [England] scoring records and broke the 100 caps."

Lampard went on to admit that Owen's goal against Argentina as an 18-year-old at the 1998 World Cup was his abiding memory of the centre-forward in an England shirt.

"The hat-trick against Munich was very good but to score the goal that he did against Argentina at his age was something very special. I was a fan that day."

Owen last represented his country back in 2008.