Michael Owen Can't Quit, Won't Quit
There has been a lot of rubbish written and said about Michael Owen through the years but I don't think anything can beat the latest mythical story to have been conjured up. Sensational it may have been, true it was not.
According to one national newspaper the Newcastle captain intended to quit at the end of the season as he no longer felt he could compete at the top level and wanted to concentrate on horse training.
Owen is many things - although I'd question Europe's best player was ever one of them - but he most certainly, most definitely, unwaveringly is not a quitter.
Actually, let me rephrase that. He will quit at some point, every player has to hang up their boots eventually, but at 29 and with ten goals in 24 starts this season in a poor side, surely it is not going to be anytime soon?
Yes, Owen loves horses as much as he loves football, but he will also know the former can wait until the latter has finished. There is also the small matter of earning the money from the latter to pay for the former.
I'm sure nobody needs to be reminded, but Owen is out of contract at the end of the season.
For all of his recent troubles - one goal in 16 games, dropped by Alan Shearer for the game against Liverpool, substituted against Middlesbrough and so on and so on - Owen will have plenty of options when his contract eventually does expire next month.
For one, I would still expect Newcastle to offer him a new contract despite his recent barren run in front of goal.
There are also strong rumours that Everton are prepared to offer him something in the summer as well, and it would be foolish to exclude Manchester City at this stage because they have so much money they are capable of bidding for anyone.
Owen has been a major disappointment these last few weeks. He looks short on pace, sharpness and, most worryingly of all for a player of his stature, confidence in front of goal.
Yet, all strikers have these spells in their career, whether they are Gary Lineker, Ian Rush, Gerd Muller, Emilio Butragueno or even, dare I say it, Alan Shearer himself.
This is not the first time Owen has been written off, yet each time he has managed to do enough to silence his detractors. It would be a brave man or woman who bet against him doing the same this time...
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Luke Edwards - is Chief Sports Writer of The Journal and uses his blog to give a unique and entertaining insight into events at Newcastle United and Sunderland.
Good to see that you're keeping yourself busy Luke ... How's the rain?
Wet and persistent. I'm back writing about football you'll all be pleased to hear!
Owen is finished. He has no interest in playing for NUFC or football in general.
Either move to the Scottish league or retire (same thing isn't it?)
Doesnt deserve another contract.
It was interesting to note today that Owen watched the game with apparently very little interest. Finished or not he clearly is only at NUFC for the money.
As Premier League clubs will not be forming a queue for his signature he probably will get a chance to be a Championship's player next season. And the season after that he could play in Division I!
Who knows how far they will have fallen before he and the other expensive dross hit the eventual bottom of the current slide towards oblivion.