Michael Owen names best manager and player he's played with in his career 

Former Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Manchester United superstar Michael Owen has hailed Sir Alex Ferguson as the greatest manager he played under. The Englishman also reserved special praise for Los Blancos legend Zinedine Zidane, naming him the best player he ever played with.

Owen, who joined the Red Devils in 2009, played three seasons under Ferguson, scoring 17 goals in 52 appearances (all competitions) and winning his only Premier League title. When asked to name the manager he was most impressed by, Owen unhesitantly picked Ferguson, snubbing the likes of Gerard Houllier and Glenn Hoddle, amongst others.

Speaking to Ace odds, he said (via the Mirror):

“I played under some great managers, and certain managers were vital for my progress throughout my career. I think I'm thinking of the likes of Glenn Hoddle for England, Gerard Houllier for Liverpool. Roy Evans gave me my debut, but I think one of the best managers of all time is Sir Alex Ferguson.”

He explained his pick, saying:

“I'd be stupid to to say anybody else. He's been there, seen it done multiple times. He's lasted the test of time. Is it 26 years or something? I mean, just think about football, your life changes so quickly.

“But to be managing for 26 years and to be right at the top is quite, quite stunning with all the change that happens. You've got to change as a person as well. So I think Sir Alex Ferguson would be hands down, the best manager that I ever played with.”

Next, the 2000 Ballon d’Or winner was asked to name the greatest player he played with. Owen gave that particular title to the great Zidane.

He added:

"I always say when asked that question, Zinedine Zidane was probably the best player I played with. He was amazing.”

Owen and Zidane played 31 games together at Real Madrid in the 2004-05 season, combining for one goal.

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Michael Owen lauds Ronaldo Nazario and Steven Gerrard, reveals factor that made Zinedine Zidane better

While the former England international hailed Zidane as the greatest player he played alongside, he also lauded two other iconic footballers who were nearly as impressive. The Liverpool great first heaped praise on Ronaldo Nazario, lauding him for his exceptional performances despite serious knee injuries.

He said:

“You know, Ronaldo (the Brazilian Ronaldo) sadly, I only played with him at the end of his career (30 games at Real Madrid).

"But he was just off the scale. Considering he was still doing what he was doing with so many knee problems and things like that, he deserves a special mention.

Owen then turned his attention to former Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard, claiming that the Reds superstar could do absolutely anything. He added:

“Stevie could do absolutely everything. He could head, he could run, he was fast, he was strong, he could beat players, he could score, he could assist and vision. He had absolutely everything. And I played alongside him since I was this big (184 games, Liverpool).”

Finally, he claimed that while both players were superb (Ronaldo, Gerrard), they were still behind Zidane in terms of raw footballing artistry.

He concluded by saying:

“But in terms of pure raw touch and quality and skill, someone who was just born to be a footballer, I think Zidane was the one.”