Michael Owen set off a public debate after a social media outburst in which he offered a detailed statistical comparison of himself and Wayne Rooney from the early stages of their careers. According to the original exchange, Owen listed his achievements and rejected suggestions that Rooney was the superior youngster, framing the discussion in numbers and milestones.

Rooney chose a measured response, addressing the issue on The Wayne Rooney Show and refusing to escalate the exchange. He said: “Michael and I are very different players,” he said on The Wayne Rooney Show . “I used to go out on the street and pretend to be Michael Owen—even though he played for Liverpool.

“I think his comments are fair. Of course, he’s going to back himself. I’d back myself. But, I’d never judge myself against Michael Owen because he’s someone I actually looked up to and had the pleasure of playing alongside.”

The episode underlines two truths about the pair that featured heavily in the original discussion. Owen emerged as a spectacular young goalscorer, making an immediate impact and collecting high-profile recognition early in his career. He was the second-youngest Ballon d’Or winner ever in 2001, a fact often cited when comparing the two forwards at similar ages.

Rooney’s reply steered away from recrimination and towards perspective. The piece at hand notes that while Owen was certainly the more gifted finisher in his breakthrough years, Rooney’s career is distinguished by longevity and technical quality. That combination is presented as the basis for judging Rooney’s overall standing in football rather than focusing solely on early statistical advantage.

The exchange is notable for its frankness and for Rooney’s diplomatic tone in reply. It leaves the comparison framed both by Owen’s early brilliance and by Rooney’s sustained contribution over the course of his career.

David Coote, the former Premier League referee dismissed in December 2024 after comments about Liverpool and Jürgen Klopp, has been charged with making an indecent video of a child. He was charged on Aug. 12 and is due to appear at Nottingham Magistrates Court on Thursday, Sept. 11. Coote has been released from custody on conditional bail.

Coote’s top-flight refereeing career was ended by Professional Game Match Officials Limited after those comments were judged a “serious breach of the provisions of his employment contract.” The Football Association also imposed an eight-week ban in August related to the remarks about Liverpool and Klopp.

Earlier, Coote initially disputed the legitimacy of the video but later admitted it was genuine. In a lengthy interview with The Sun he acknowledged drug abuse and spoke about his struggles with hiding his sexuality. He said that he “didn’t recognise” himself in the video where he called Klopp a derogatory term.

UEFA has already barred Coote from officiating until June 30, 2026. That suspension followed the publication of photographs showing him snorting a white powder, after he had been selected to appear as an assistant VAR official at Euro 2024.

The sequence of sanctions and allegations has removed Coote from match duties at domestic and European levels while criminal procedures proceed. He faces the upcoming magistrates court hearing in September and remains on conditional bail as the legal process continues.

EA Sports has published the list of the top 26 rated Premier League players in EA FC 26, a list headlined by Mohamed Salah and Rodri. The rankings double as an early look at Ultimate Team walkouts, the in-game term for player items rated 86 or higher.

Liverpool and Arsenal each register seven walkouts in FC 26. The coverage notes summer signings Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak among those for the league champions. Arsenal’s entries include Saliba, Saka, Rice and Gyökeres. Manchester City record six walkouts, including new goalkeeper Donnarumma, leaving City just behind the two sides that finished above them in the league.

Bruno Fernandes keeps the same overall rating from FC 25 to FC 26 despite a difficult season for Manchester United. Other Premier League clubs with multiple walkouts include Newcastle United and Chelsea.

Mohamed Salah is the highest rated player in the Premier League for EA FC 26 and is also the joint-highest rated Ultimate Team player alongside Kylian Mbappé.

A number of notable players receive downgrades at the start of the year, with Rodri, Haaland and Ødegaard listed among those reduced. Several familiar names are absent from the walkout list this year in the Premier League, including Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva and Emiliano Martínez. Players such as Trent Alexander-Arnold and Son Heung-min also miss out on walkouts in FC 26, a situation attributed in the notes to players transferring clubs over the summer.

The EA FC 26 reveal offers an early snapshot of how Ultimate Team will represent Premier League talent this season, and the distribution of walkouts underlines how summer moves and seasonal form have influenced opening ratings.