Owen in Al Tribute

"I'm sure Alan will break Jackie Milburn's record soon and it couldn't go to a better player.

"If and when he breaks the record, he will be really proud. It could not happen to a better professional. To me, Alan represents the absolute pinnacle of what every player should try to attain.

"He is the benchmark for all strikers, myself included, and if I'm still playing in the Premiership at his age, I will be a very happy man. If I achieve half of what Alan has, I will retire a happy man.

"Alan is still an amazing player and a great professional, even now when he is a little bit older and not at his absolute peak. His best days were probably at Blackburn and in his first year here at Newcastle. But even now, when he is not at his best, he is still easily good enough to play in this league.

"To play at the level he has done for so many years is a remarkable achievement. He has done it season in, season out and, even when he has been injured, he has still scored his fair share of goals.

"Alan is one of a kind, he is amazing and has had the most fantastic career. I certainly feel that his record of scoring 30 Premiership goals a season for three years running at Blackburn will never be repeated.

"I have kept in regular touch with him over the years and coming to Newcastle and finding myself in the same dressing room as him again is a pleasure. He has looked after himself both on and off the pitch and he hasn't changed at all. It makes you feel very strong knowing that you have a character like him in the dressing room and on the training pitch.

"On the pitch, he is still the old Alan Shearer. He is still scoring goals and, as everyone knows, he will be sorely missed when he calls it a day at the end of this season. There will be a hole to fill. Any team in the world would miss Alan Shearer and Newcastle are no different."