Newcastle United Football Club

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

• Ground:St James' Park
• Capacity:52193

Shearer expects Owen stay

18 Jun 2007 - 14:49:07

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Alan Shearer expects Michael Owen to still be a Newcastle United player at the start of next season.

The Magpies legend has played down talk that the England striker could leave St James' Park following his return to fitness after serious knee ligament damage.

Owen has been linked with the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool in recent weeks, but Shearer believes his former strike partner will remain on Tyneside.

He told the Newcastle Evening Chronicle: "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 £10million or £11million 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."