Dear God, Let England Win Just One Shoot-out

As a veteran of some of England's biggest setbacks on the football field, Michael Owen could be forgiven for occasionally seeking divine intervention. Yet his millions of admirers may be surprised by the Real Madrid striker's revelation that he prays for God's help before taking part in penalty shootouts.

Asked by a television documentary crew if he had started praying in a match, Owen replied: 'The only time you think like that is when the game's stopped. Penalty shootouts are the main ones. And there's five or 10 minutes from the end of the match until when you're taking your penalty and the reality sets in, and you start thinking to yourself you could be a hero or a villain.'

Given that England have gone out of two World Cups and two European Championships since 1990 after failing on penalties, including last year's Euro 2004 tournament in Portugal, Owen's teammates might be tempted to follow his example and pause for a quiet prayer before they shoot.

Owen made the admission in an interview with Mark Dowd, a former Dominican friar, for a forthcoming Channel 4 programme exploring soccer's many similarities to religion. Called Hallowed Be Thy Game, it has unearthed further proof that, when the going gets tough, football's biggest names get God.

Sir Alex Ferguson, the Manchester United manager, recalled the time when he offered up a quiet prayer to aid his Aberdeen side, who at the time were beating Rangers 1-0 in the Scottish Cup Final with a minute to go. 'And I prayed. I remember my old assistant, Terry Scott, says: "You never pray to win football matches."

'You know? He was dead right.' Rangers scored twice in injury time to win 2-1. 'I've never done it again,' added Ferguson, who now believes that prayers should be reserved for family, friends and the sick.

Hallowed Be Thy Game, Channel 4, Sunday 30 January, 8pm