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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Kyle O'Sullivan

Queen's very surprising favourite footballer - and it's because he 'looks so clean'

The Queen might not be a natural football fan - but she does have a surprising favourite player.

Her Majesty has been known to become quite animated when following the England team on TV and has hosted a number of different squads over the years.

She held a reception for the England, Scotland and Jamaican based football squads in October 1998 at Buckingham Palace.

And a The 75-strong England party, including back-room staff as well as high profile players and management, arrived at the Palace in three coaches back in November 2002.

The drinks-and-canapes reception was staged in the Blue Drawing Room at the Palace where FA chairman Geoffrey Thompson, along with then England manager Sven-Goran Erikkson and captain David Beckham were the first to meet the Queen.

While Becks may have seemed the obvious choice, the Queen would later reveal that her favourite footballer is actually one of his England teammates.

Sven-Goran Erikkson said the Queen told him that Owen was her favourite player (Press Association)

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Swedish manager Sven had lunch with the Queen and started asking her about her football preferences.

"I was invited to lunch with The Queen with about another 10 people, Eriksson told the 'Sacked in the Morning' podcast. "At a certain point, I asked her if she liked football. She said not really.

"I asked her for her favourite player or team. I thought she would've said Beckham. 'Michael Owen is my favourite player,' she said.

"I asked why and she said: 'He looks so clean'. That was the answer I got and we didn't go on with that discussion."

The Queen and Owen clearly hit it off as he was her guest at Royal Ascot back in 2009 along with his wife Louise.

However, Her Majesty may change her answer now as she gave the former Liverpool striker a 'b*****king' while they were waiting for a lift.

Speaking on On Emily Dean's Walking The Dog podcast in April, Michael explained that he was invited into the royal carriages to come up the race track after having lunch at Windsor Castle.

Owen shaking hands with the Queen back in 2002 (Press Association)

Owen was given some instructions on royal protocol before meeting the Queen, but confusion around the rules led to an awkward situation.

He explained: "Obviously, beforehand we were givena bit of a prep. 'If Her Majesty does this you do that. If she walks here you sweep round and take your hat off for the national anthem or if she speaks to you'. That's in my mind. 'Got to remember this'."

Once they had entered the parade ring, the Queen got out to inspect the horses and began walking towards the royal lift.

He explained: "She walks into the lift. I've got my hat off. She says, 'Come on, come on. We'll all fit in here. Squeeze in'.

"I'm first on so I walk in and get reasonably close. Obviously my hat is off as she's talking to me and that's what I was told."

"Anyway, she keeps shouting outside to everyone. 'Come on we've done it before we can get everyone in.' So obviously im getting pushed closer.

"I don't want to invade her personal space but I'm now taking a step closer and I've got my hat off holding it.

(Getty Images)

"She looks at me and she looks down at my hat and says, 'If you put your hat back on we might all be able to fit in this lift.'

"Sorry Ma'am. Put my hat back on. Yeah, b*****ked by the Queen."

Although she has never publicly declared her favourite football team, there is one side the Queen has been linked to - Arsenal - the same team her grandson Prince Harry supports.

In a speech in the House of Commons in 2016, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: "Now, we know the Queen is absolutely above politics.

"She may be above football, too, but many locals harbour this quite secret view that she’s actually, privately, a Gooner."

Back in 2007, former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas claimed that the Queen told him she was "a fan" of the North London club after hosting a reception for them at Buckingham Palace.

"It seems the Queen follows football and she told us she was an Arsenal fan," Fabregas said. "She appeared to definitely know who I was and we exchanged a few special words."

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