Norman Hubbard: Owen's lack of hunger means end near

A former teenage sensation named Michael took his final bow last week - a precocious, electric world-beater bowing out to a rapturous reception and still near the peak of his powers. Enough about the record-breaking swimmer Michael Phelps, however. Michael Owen has also had a busy Olympics.

He has watched the rowing, the gymnastics, the dressage, the athletics and even the football. Judging from his updates on social networking sites, Owen has become something of an authority on televised sport.

The former European Footballer of the Year may be Britain's most famous couch potato. Indeed, he may now be an ex-footballer, even if the joke is that he has been one for the last three years. We don't know.

And, such is Owen's descent from ubiquity to irrelevance, many don't care.