Source: Telegraph
Michael Owen and Hull would be match made in heaven says Peter Taylor
Taylor knows the club and its fans well thanks to his four years in charge of the Tigers and his background knowledge makes him optimistic that Owen would be happy to play his trade in the Premier league's Humberside outpost.
Hull are lining up an audacious move for Owen who will be available on a free transfer this summer after confirming he will leave relegation Newcastle and Taylor is adamant he could prosper at his old club despite his unfashionable status.
'Michael would love the fans at the KC Stadium and if Michael is fit and doing well by scoring goals then Hull's supporters would absolutely adore him as well,' Taylor told Telegraph Sport.
'Michael has played at some of the top clubs in Europe and he will have experienced the passion of Liverpool and Real Madrid and Newcastle.
'But I can tell him right now because I know from my own, first-hand experience that he will discover that the fans of Hull are just as passionate as the supporters at the more illustrious clubs.
'Hull gets some unwarranted stick but they are enjoying themselves more than ever nowadays and quite rightly so because they should relish top-flight football and they deserve it.
'I'll bet they will really take to Michael and vice-versa because he is still a very determined professional and if he wasn't he would just pack it in. To me if Michael is fit and works hard in the summer he will be raring to go so he would be one hell of a signing for Hull.'
Taylor, who is now in charge of newly-promoted league One side Wycombe Wanderers, inspired Hull to back-to-back promotions into the Championship during a four-year rein that he ended in 2006 by moving to Crystal Palace.
Since Taylor left the club has changed hands but he is certain that chairman Paul Duffen, who bought the club from Adam Pearson, has the drive to make Hull an attractive proposition to Owen.
'The draw with hull is that it is still a very ambitious club. they just about saved themselves but then again at the start of last season if they'd been offered fourth-from-bottom they would have snapped your hand off,' Taylor added.
'It is a very progressive club. they have owners who are very positive about the future and I can understand why they would want Michael Owen because when he's on song he's one of the best goal-scorers around.'
The former England Under-21 coach is also convinced that Owen could regain his place in the national side ahead of the 2010 World Cup finals as long as he plays top-flight football.
Taylor, who once managed the senior national side following Kevin Keegan's resignation in 2000, added: 'To win a place in the World Cup squad he has to be playing and doing in the Premier League on August 15 when the new season starts.
'Anybody has a chance of getting into Fabio Capello's squad as long as they are fit and playing extremely well and that applies to Michael.
'We still haven't got enough goal-scorers so if Michael gets back to where we know he can be there is every chance he could play on the plane to South Africa next summer.'
