11th June 2007
by Alan Oliver

Alan Shearer is convinced that Michael Owen will still be a Newcastle United player at the start of next season.

And not only that, but the United legend believes that Owen and Mark Viduka will form a tremendous partnership next season for Sam Allardyce, along with Oba Martins and Shola Ameobi, and backed up by young Andy Carroll.

Shearer, of course, was instrumental in helping United pull off the £17m signing of Owen from Real Madrid at the end of the summer two years ago.

And the former United skipper, who jets off to Canada tomorrow as a part of his ambassadorial role for Umbro, told me before he left: "I am sure there are lots of people who want to ask me whether I think Michael Owen will be at Newcastle next season.

"To be honest, I don't think anyone would be prepared to pay £10m or £11m for him until they have seen him play for five or six months.

"So if anyone says to me `will he be here next season' I would have to say yes, I think he will be.

"And I also think him playing up front with Mark Viduka will be a great partnership for United.

"Viduka is great at holding the ball up and we all know how great Michael is at scoring goals.

"So I don't think there will be many better partnerships out there in the Premiership next season than the one at St James' Park."

Only Arsenal of the big four have shown any interest in Owen, probably as they do not know if Thierry Henry will still be at the Emirates Stadium next season.

These apart, perhaps only West Ham United would be prepared to match the £102,000-a-week wages the 27-year-old striker picks up at St James' Park.

In return for £10m in wages he has banked since he arrived, Owen has only started 13 games for United and scored seven goals - and he clearly owes the Newcastle fans a lot.

And, in my view, it is time that Owen, who will now go on holiday after his two games for England earlier this month and an appearance at his big pal Steven Gerrard's wedding over the weekend, came out and told United and their fans just what his plans are.

In the meantime, all Sam Allardyce can do is to make contingency plans should he suddenly find himself without Owen at any time before the season gets under way at his former club Bolton Wanderers on August 11.

Before that, if Owen does leave, Big Sam could even go back to the Reebok Stadium for his former striker El-Hadji Diouf.