On-fire Owen ready to rattle Reds

NEWCASTLE boss Graeme Souness is hoping £17m striker Michael Owen will return to former club Liverpool on St. Stephen’s Day and remind the Anfield faithful of exactly what they are missing.

The 26-year-old England hitman, who had spent more than half his life with the Merseyside giant before his shock move to Real Madrid in the summer of last year, will return for the first time on Monday.

If Owen's move to Spain proved unpopular with sections of the club's support, who had seen him plunder 158 goals in 297 appearances, Newcastle's swoop to bring him back to the Premiership in August with their club not prepared to meet the asking price was almost unbearable.

However, Souness and the Toon Army have reaped the rewards since as he has scored seven times in eight starts to spark an up-turn in Newcastle's season.

"I'm sure Michael is really looking forward to going back and showing his old public what they are missing," said Souness. "Michael's on fire at the moment, and long may that continue. He's exactly what we thought we were getting. He is goals he can sniff goals out of nothing, and that's what makes him such a very, very special player."

Owen claimed his first Magpies hat-trick in last weekend's 4-2 win at West Ham.

He is regarded on the red half of Merseyside with similar reverence to Kop legend Ian Rush, and Souness a Reds legend himself admits the comparison is appropriate.

"I think they are similar," he said. "But Ian Rush, with all due respect, was playing in a team that won the European Cup and generally the league every year or every other year.

"I would say there are similarities, but you would be very hard-pressed to pick one of them. You would have either of them any day of the week in any team."

But if all eyes will be on Owen, the man standing alongside him at kick-off will write himself into the history books if he finds the back of the net. Skipper Alan Shearer needs just one more goal to complete a double century in a black and white shirt and equal Jackie Milburn's club record.

It seems inconceivable that he will not do so and go on to top Milburn's mark before the end of the campaign, but to get there at one of English football's most historic venues would add further spice.

"I wouldn't bet against him getting it over this Christmas period equalling it and breaking it because he's in fine form," said Souness, whose campaign to persuade the 35-year-old to play on for another season has been tentatively launched, although a second about-turn seems unlikely.

Shearer has already dismissed that scenario although he was adamant at the same time last year and in the short-term, will be hoping simply that the attention on Owen at Anfield will allow him to do the damage.

"That doesn't seem a bad idea to me," he said with a smile. "Obviously all eyes will be on Michael and it goes without saying just how much I'm enjoying playing alongside him at the moment. In fact, I really believe that if Michael stays fit he can help us back into the Champions League again next season."

However, the only goal Liverpool have conceded in their last 12 games was the one that cost them the World Club Championship in Japan last week, and they have not been breached in the league since they lost 2-0 at Fulham on October 22.

Souness has welcomed back five players from injury Celestine Babayaro, Stephen Carr, Steven Taylor, Emre and Charles N'Zogbia but Scott Parker is suspended.