Gerrard's Respect For Owen Has Started The Rumours

Last Updated : 08-Apr-2007 by
And that has sparked rumours on Merseyside that Liverpool will monitor Owen's recovery at Newcastle and make a bid in the summer.

Gerrard has long been a fan of Owen, and he has told the Merseyside media he cannot wait to play in the same side.

Toon old boy Craig Bellamy is still involved - he was in the starting line-up at Reading on Saturday - but Liverpool seem set to let Aston Villa and Blackburn set the price as he looks likely to leave.

As for Owen, they obviously won't make a move until the striker is fully fit, having suffered a career-threatening injury in the World Cup. Newcastle manager Glenn Roeder believes Owen's knee injury would have ended his career a few years ago.

The 27-year-old England striker is back in training and perhaps only days away from joining in with his team-mates following the long haul back from two bouts of surgery.

Roeder: "Michael is where he should be in his recovery. He was out there this morning and he is looking in fine shape considering how bad the injury was.
People have to realise the injury he suffered during the World Cup was a shocking injury.

"It is not that many years ago than an injury like that would finish a player's career.

"Thankfully, because of medical advances and the ability of surgeons to put parts of the human body back together again, he is out training and I am very, very pleased for him."