The English professional striker Michael Owen made his hat-trick in a Champions League game against the German team Wolfsburg Tuesday, only a few days before his 30th birthday next Monday. His three goals gave an injury-ravaged side a 3-1 victory away to last year's Bundesliga champion Wolfsburg and ensured that Manchester United progressed to the last 16 of the Champions League as winners of group B.

Owen's place in Capello's English squad for the World Cup finals in South Africa next summer is far from assured, but he surely has caught the Italian's eyes with his first hat-trick for four years in his Manchester United career, altogether the fourteenth of his whole soccer career.

"Me getting three goals will probably grab the headlines, but it was a great team performance," Owen, who turns 30 on next Monday, said, "I was playing deep with us having so many players out and we were trying to protect the back four."

"Fantastic -- around the penalty box, he's on the shoulder, he's making runs across defender, his timing of runs is fantastic," smiled the United boss.