Source: Telegraph
Michael Owen may quit Premier League after departing relegated Newcastle United
Owen is now looking for a new club and is ready to listen to offers from clubs across Europe after finally admitting that he will leave Newcastle following their relegation to the Championship.
The striker has today insisted that a "lot of interest" in his services has been registered by clubs at home and abroad and although he would prefer to stay in England he will not rule out leaving his homeland.
With the World Cup finals looming, Owen must revitalise his career following four injury-ravaged years at Newcastle and he will contemplate a move abroad even though his fortunes went into decline when he left Liverpool for Real Madrid five years ago.
Owen deemed surplus to requirements in the Spanish capital during Fabio Capello's reign and then he lost his place in the England side as injuries took their toll when the Italian succeeded Steve McClaren as the national side's head coach.
Speaking for the first time since Newcastle were relegated last month, Owen, 29, said: "I'm contracted to Newcastle but I don't think I'm going to be re-signing at Newcastle, I don't think they will offer me a new contract and I'd like to play in the Premier League or in a top division somewhere else. I'm still a Newcastle player, but only for a matter of weeks.
"It remains to be seen where I'm going to go and there are plenty of clubs that would interest me obviously. We'll see where that is, whether that's home or abroad. There's been a lot of interest from abroad and quite a bit from at home as well.
"The Premier League is where I feel I belong. I played a year out at Real Madrid but that definitely confirmed to me that I prefer the Premier League. If it was to be a good English club then that would be my preference. I've had quite a lot of interest from abroad so I wouldn't rule that out."
Hull have expressed an interest in Owen but he is no rush to finalise a move.
Asked about Hull's interest, Owen added: "I've not been made aware of that, it must have been this morning. It's quite a new one. I've been linked to just about every team in the last few months.
"I'll sit down in the next few weeks. I don't think it's fair to Newcastle, I can't see me staying at Newcastle, I've had four enjoyable years there so I wouldn't like to be talking about specific clubs I might be joining while I'm still at Newcastle."
Owen, Newcastle's £17 million record signing, will also be out to prove his critics wrong when the new season gets under way having been written off by some.
"There's been a lot said and written about me over the last few weeks and not many nice things," Owen continued.
"I've got skin thicker than 99.9 per cent of the population and I have got used to it, I don't know why you should get used to it. I suppose I have. People write you off but when I scored a goal in the World Cup as an 18-year-old people were writing me off saying I was a one-off.
"I score a hat-trick against Germany in Munich and win five trophies in a year with Liverpool. I'll come back. I'll obviously play well and score goals and do all these things once more and everyone will be quiet for six months and I'll have two or three bad games then people will say 'he's about to turn 30 and his legs have gone'.
"There's always someone, this country's renowned for that. Someone will always criticise you, no matter what. If I let that affect me then I'd never be where I am today. Yes I'd prefer people to say nice things about me, it's not like I've murdered anyone. You've got to be thick-skinned I suppose."
