Owen's feeling fitter than ever

Liverpool striker Michael Owen, fresh from his four goals at West Brom on Saturday, has revealed he feels in the finest physical shape of his career.

The England forward passed 100 Premier League goals at The Hawthorns and his next immediate objective is to fire his club back into the Champions League with victories at home to Manchester City and away to Chelsea.

“I am feeling fitter and stronger at this stage of the season than I ever have before,” Owen told the club’s website, www.liverpoolfc.tv.

“At last, it’s all coming right for me again, which is the reward for all the hard work I have put in.

“To be honest, I was ready to write off the whole of this season after setting myself physical targets which had to be attained before anything else could happen. So I’m ahead of schedule.

“People claim it’s been a poor season for Michael Owen due to injury. Well, I should like to point out that I’ve missed only two matches through the hamstring trouble, and that was some while ago.

“I’ve now equalled my best haul of Premiership goals in one campaign for Liverpool, with two games still to go. I’m on an overall total of 28, and that also equals my highest for the club.”

The 23-year-old added: “Everything is on the up and up. And when you mix in the fact that last summer I was at the World Cup Finals, which severely restricted any holiday, then I believe there is every reason to feel optimistic.

“Despite a couple of England fixtures in early June, I reckon I can pinch at least one month’s rest this summer which should stand me in extremely good stead.”

Liverpool’s greatest-ever goalscorer Ian Rush, who is now the Anfield club’s striker’s coach, was full of praise for his most-prized student.

“Michael is absolutely flying at the moment and was before Saturday’s match. Four goals for one player in any game is great, but it shows how on top of his game he is,” he said.

“Next season will be his year again I think. He’s only still young and is going to get better and better.

“Even when he didn’t score against Charlton last week, he was probably the best player out there with his linking play.”

Meanwhile, Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann has pulled out of the Germany squad for Wednesday’s friendly international against Serbia and Montenegro after sustaining an ankle injury in the 6-0 win at West Brom.