You are currently viewing ‘People don’t know this’ – Michael Owen finally sets record straight on infamous ‘well done, he’s 13’ video

‘People don’t know this’ – Michael Owen finally sets record straight on infamous ‘well done, he’s 13’ video

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Michael Owen admits he was encouraged to overcelebrate in the now infamous clip of him scoring against a young goalkeeper.

The clip in question was of Owen in 1999 at the peak of his powers scoring against then 13-year-old goalkeeper Jamie Hutchinson in a one-vs-one challenge at an empty Britannia Stadium.

The clip from the 1999 video regularly goes viral on social media

It was filmed for the Michael Owen Soccer Skills video tape, but it is best remembered for legendary goalkeeper Neville Southall’s reaction.

After scoring one goal, the striker wheeled away in celebration after putting the ball in the back of the net.

It prompted Southall to say the now infamous line: “Well done, he’s 13.”

The former Liverpool and Real Madrid striker was widely ridiculed for his actions and every so often it pops up on social media.

Now, joining talkSPORT, Owen has revealed all on that clip and admitted not everything was as it seemed.

He told Drive: “I was only a couple of years older than him myself! It’s probably funny now.

“I got back from the World Cup in 98 and there were loads of commercial opportunities, things like that. 

“I was asked to do a soccer skills video on a soccer skills book. So I had to explain, talk through, finishing, volleying, heading, whatever the skill was. Inevitably need a goalkeeper there.

“I never picked them and so I turned up to do the show and to talk through how I see scoring a goal and what I think in certain scenarios and whatever. 

“There was a kid in goal that I had to score past and when I scored they’re like, come on, no, you need to show a bit more animation.

“Like celebrate when you score, this is going on a video. So people don’t know this, right? 

“But people just laugh at you no matter what. Then they take a little extract of anything.

“There’s loads of things like that on the internet on me.”

It was not only Owen who was given direction by those behind the scenes as the young goalkeeper himself explained all in 2016.

“Being the goalkeeper on a programme headlined by a striker wasn’t exactly ideal for me,” Jamie said.

“It was made clear that it wouldn’t make good filming if the goalkeeper was saving all the shots taken by the other kids after they had been coached by Michael.”

Michael Owen’s career achievements

Ballon d’Or – 2001

Premier League Golden Boot – 1997/98, 1998/99

Premier League Player of the Season – 1997/98

FIFA World Cup Best Young Player – France 98

Premier League – 2010/11

FA Cup – 2000/01

League Cup – 2000/01, 2002/03, 2009/10

UEFA Cup – 2000/01

Southall himself also stood up for Owen when speaking about the incident on a podcast earlier this year.

He said: “I think he was being ironic to be fair, but I think he was enjoying himself and being ironic.

“But the poor kid, he scored a squillion goals past him and I was thinking ‘give him a break’.

“On the day, Michael was okay and he’s always okay. 

“People judge him on that and that’s not him.”

Hutchinson also went viral again three years ago when Southall posted a picture with him some 23 years on from the original video.

Southall and Hutchinson reunited back in 2022
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The goalkeeper may have lost his ginger hair but he was wearing that same kit the was seen in the video.

And it seemed everyone was making the same joke.

One said: “Where has all the hair gone? It can’t be that long ago….”

Another added: “Well done, he’s 36.”

Even though it all may not be as it seems, expect the clip to still go viral at every opportunity.

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