Newcastle United Football Club News

• Nickname:Magpies
• Founded:1881
• Manager:Alan Pardew

• Ground:St James' Park
• Capacity:52,193

Keegan calls for Owen deal

24 Mar 2008 - 15:22:44

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Newcastle United boss Kevin Keegan has urged the club's owners to agree a new long-term contract with captain Michael Owen as soon as possible.

The 28-year-old England international has scored four times in his last seven outings for the Magpies, including a clinching second goal in the crucial 2-0 win over Fulham at the weekend.

Keegan said after that victory: "I've already started to say we should be talking to Michael now, not next week.

"Michael's not going to stop scoring, he's not going to stop catching the eye and Michael is going to be wanted by other clubs. But at the moment he's here.

"He enjoys playing at this club. A lot of the stuff that's been written may suggest otherwise, but nothing Michael has said has been anything other than positive.

"I've never asked Michael if he wants to stay, so I can't answer that, but I hope the answer is yes. If not, we've another year of him and that's the very least we'll get.

"I don't think that we'll get a player any better than Michael, as long as he isn't injured again.

"I don't see why we should be looking all over the world for foreign players and trying to teach them how to play in the Premier League, when we've got one who knows his way around and whose scoring record is tremendous."

Owen's current deal runs out at the end of next season, with the former Liverpool ace having netted 15 goals in 40 appearances in total during his injury-hit time on Tyneside.