Owen's not going: Shearer

Newcastle legend Alan Shearer expects Michael Owen to start next season at St James’ Park despite continuing speculation over his future.

The 27-year-old England international is yet to reveal his plans amid suggestions he could leave Tyneside under a release clause in his contract after two injury-hit seasons with the Magpies.

However, former England team-mate Shearer, who played a key role in persuading the then Real Madrid frontman to make his £17m switch to Newcastle, believes he will remain at the club.

Shearer said: “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 £10m or £11m 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.”

Owen has played just 14 games and scored seven goals for the Magpies since arriving on Tyneside, with a fractured metatarsal and then the knee injury he suffered at last summer’s World Cup finals drastically limiting his involvement.

However, he figured in the last three games of the 2006-07 campaign for his club to prove his fitness for England, and took part in the B international against Albania, the friendly draw with Brazil and the 3-0 Euro 2008 qualifier in Estonia, in which he scored for the first time in more than a year.

Newcastle’s 13th-place finish left them without European football next season and sparked claims Owen could leave for as little as £9million.

Chairman Freddy Shepherd, who has since agreed to sell his shares to sportswear tycoon Mike Ashley, challenged the frontman to commit his future to the club - he has two years of his contract remaining – something he has as yet failed to do.

New boss Sam Allardyce held talks with Owen at the England team hotel before the B game in Burnley last month, but has since admitted if the player decides to leave, there is nothing he can do about it.

Allardyce has already recruited Mark Viduka from derby rivals Middlesbrough and has been linked with moves for Bolton’s Nicolas Anelka, once a target for predecessor Graeme Souness, and El-Hadji Diouf, as well as Sevilla’s Fredi Kanoute.

However, Shearer is keen to see Owen link up with Viduka to form a strike-force he is confident will prove difficult to contain.

He said: “I 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.”

Meanwhile, Allardyce will order his England Under-21 stars to take a break when they return from Holland.

Steven Taylor and James Milner were both in the side which sealed a European Championships semi-final spot with a stormy 2-0 win over Serbia last night.

Allardyce said: “Once this tournament ends at the weekend, I want Taylor and Milner to have a good rest.

“I know they will say they will not want a rest when they get back, but my job is to manage Newcastle United’s players correctly and take control of their training programme and schedule – and that’s what I will be doing.

“They are both very passionate about this football club, but it will be for the good of us all that they recharge their batteries.”