Final Whistle

Michael Owen Scores for Newcastle

Despite what the news might try to tell us, Twitter is not a good source of valid stories, whether about North Korea, or more important matters, such as football.

However, that was the place where, earlier this week, we started to hear rumours about Michael Owen heading to Manchester United.

Owen had failed to return to Newcastle United training as the Magpies look to pick up the pieces of their football club following the ignimony of relegation to the Coca Cola Championship. It didn’t come as a great surprise those who knew Owen flew every day in a helicopter to Newcastle training from his Cheshire home that he felt his skills more suited to Premier League football.

A club in the North-West would surely cut down that commute, too, but there can’t have been many betting hefty amounts on Owen’s next club being Manchester United. Those who did would surely have received a good return as, today, the official word came out of Old Trafford that Michael Owen has put pen to paper on a two year deal.

At the turn of 30 years old, the England international has surely still a great deal to offer a club like United, and it perhaps suits them that Owen may be willing to play a lesser role at this stage of his career following the injury woes of the past few years. And what a great weapon to have on the bench, or in reserve, in case of a Rooney or Berbatov injury.

Calling Owen a ‘broken leg sub’ does the player a massive disservice, though, and given Manchester United’s ball playing ability, he will surely have a better return for the club than he did with Newcastle – even allowing for the departure of the World’s Best Player, Cristiano Ronaldo to Owen’s former club, Real Madrid at the end of June.

Ferguson values experienced internationals, and has, in the past, used them well to devastating effect for his club. And if you’re scratching your head right now, I will follow two words with a date and see if you’re any the wiser: Teddy Sheringham, 1999.

Michael Owen is a player very much in the Sheringham mould: good in the air, despite being relatively small in stature; a seasoned international with a natural finish; and bags of experience gained in a long career with a number of top-class clubs playing in the highest tier of European football.

Though many are raising eyebrows at Owen’s signing, it could, yet again, prove to be one of Alex Ferguson’s shrewdest bits of business. Michael Owen on a free transfer? Five years ago he’d have ripped arms off: assuming Owen can recover from his injury worries, and return to his brilliant best, this could be the signing of the summer.