Michael Owen has revealed that he has been struggling with injuries since the age of 19.
The striker, who will retire at the end of the season, has stuttered in form during the latter stages of his career.
The 33-year-old has admitted that he often wonders "what might have been" if he had never suffered a hamstring problem in his teens.
"Many of my highlights were early on in my career and I can only wonder what more I would have achieved had my body been able to withstand the demands that I was making of it," Owen wrote on his official website. "I was almost too quick.
"My hamstring gave way in a game at Leeds at the age of 19 and, from that moment on, my playing career was compromised. I actually take great pride in the fact that, even when not fully fit, I still competed at the very highest level playing for some of the world's biggest clubs."
Owen will retire from the game as a Stoke City player following stints at Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle United and Manchester United.
