How has it come to this for Michael Owen? Having relegation candidates Hull and Stoke as the only real contenders for his signature was not what the former England striker had in mind at the end of his contract when he penned a four year deal at Newcastle in 2005.

No disrespect to the two clubs, but they’re hardly accustomed to the type of glamour associated with Owen’s former clubs Liverpool and Real Madrid. To see one of the best strikers of his generation suffer such premature demise really is quite sad and one would hope I’m not alone in hoping he can recapture the sort of form which earned him the Ballon d’Or award in 2001.

The 29-year-old becomes a free agent this week as his four year contract at St. James’ Park comes to an end, and the 89-time capped Englishman has even had to advertise his services with an embarrassing brochure detailing his qualities which was distributed to clubs by his representatives.

Yet despite his impressive CV and scoring ratio, Owen has only accumulated interest from teams at the lower end of the Premier League table. Surely his career record of 204 goals in just over 400 appearances merits higher interest? He nears the one in two ratio that every striker covets despite his long history of injuries, and not many strikers in Europe can offer that over a 418 game span.

In the current economic climate, it’s a wonder Owen doesn’t have a host of clubs lining up for his signature as the experienced striker is a potential bargain for any club.

He has stated his desire to stay in the Premier League but as of yet the only offers on the table won’t appeal greatly to him. Perhaps Owen is reluctant to try his luck abroad again, and who could blame him as his career has spiralled towards its present state ever since he decided to leave his boyhood club for the Bernabeu.






At the time, the change wasn’t necessary for Owen and he missed out on a Champions League medal after Rafael Benitez landed the prestigious trophy in his first season at Anfield. But now a change really is necessary and perhaps a move abroad might be more fitting for Owens career than it was in 2004.

The player has hinted that interest has been declared from several unnamed European clubs, and although he has expressed his desire to remain in England, the right club for him could lie elsewhere.

If he were to move to Roma for example, one of those clubs rumoured to be interested, Owen could realistically rejuvenate his England career under Italian Fabio Capello. Breaking the 90 cap barrier is surely one of the last targets in Owen’s career and a move to Capello’s homeland could turn the England boss’ head.






Lets be honest, he’s more likely to spend his time in the Italian capital than at the Britannia Stadium next year. Seria A is not the league it once was. Like Owen, it has struggled to live up to its name these past few years as aside from Milan, no other club has offered any real threat in the Champions League in recent years.

The standard has slipped no doubt, but Owen could use that to his advantage. Italians pride their football on solid defending therefore a striker can be considered a revelation by breaking the 15-goal mark and I for one think Owen is more than capable of achieving that.

Making a mark in Capello’s homeland is much more likely to impress the Italian rather than a handful of important goals in a relegation scrap, which is what Owen IS likely to face should he stay in England.

Or the former Real Madrid man might fancy setting the record straight by returning to Spain. Owen was deemed a failure in La Liga upon his return to England, despite netting 16 league goals when largely used as a substitute.

He even amassed the best goals-per-minute ratio in the league in his sole season in Spain’s capital, which is enough alone to suggest he was not a flop there. However the doubters still accuse, but perhaps a return to La Liga would offer him the chance to prove such people wrong.

A switch to the likes of Villareal or Sevilla could be perfect for him. And if Diego Forlan can net so many goals in that division I’m sure Owen can do the same!






A further reason why a move abroad is Owen’s best option is the reduced amount of media coverage he would receive. The English press love to ridicule, and no one has been ridiculed more in recent years than the “finished” Michael Owen.

A move to a hot country would allow Owen to relax and find his form without the press on his back every second, and that could be crucial if he is to re-emerge as a candidate for seat on the England plane heading to South Africa next summer.

It worked for Kevin Keegan when he moved to Hamburg in 1977. True, Germany is not a hot country but it did allow Keegan to unwind and regain his status as one of the best strikers in Europe after winning the European Player of the Year in his second season there.

The former Liverpool striker had achieved “pop-star” status in England for his rock star barnet and his womanising skills. But after winning the European Cup with Liverpool in his last season there, Keegan upped sticks and left for Germany to escape the limelight.

Owen shares certain characters with his former manager in terms of their style of play, and I feel he could learn from Keegan’s moves as a player. One thing is for sure, Fabio Capello will rarely keep tabs on goings-on at the Britannia or KC Stadium next year, so do the sensible thing Michael, and take your chances overseas.