Owen shows why he is such a rich talent at Newcastle

13 April 2012

Michael Owen will be confirmed as the richest footballer in England next week, and the Newcastle captain will be the first to admit that his fortune has been topped up considerably by Newcastle with little in return.

The Sunday Times Rich List is to reveal that Owen has assets of £41million. But, since his £18m move from Real Madrid, the England striker has spent the vast majority of his three years on Tyneside injured.

Ready to rock: Michael Owen (left) strokes home a penalty to give Newcastle a two-goal lead

Finally, however, with his fourth Newcastle manager picking the team and giving him the armband, the club are getting some return for their money.

Now they are willing to pay him even more. Owner Mike Ashley and his chairman, Chris Mort, are businessmen who may have questioned the wisdom of paying a man £120,000 a week for doing very little for months on end. But since the turn of the year they have seen why Owen has been paid very well for so long and accrued such a substantial bank balance.

If Owen, 28, and his advisers are looking for an indication of the willingness of the Newcastle board to tie him to a long-term contract, they had only to peer at the directors' seats as he lined up his penalty in the dying seconds of the first half.

As referee Mike Dean tried to placate protesting Sunderland players, Ashley, Mort and their cronies, all wearing black-and-white shirts, rose in anticipation. When the No 10's low shot slipped under Craig Gordon, the group leapt and engulfed each other. They were dancing again at the final whistle.

Owen's finances may not match Ashley's billions but the former Liverpool striker has not done badly for kicking a bag of air into a net. But, while he takes satisfaction from the investments he can make in property and horses, his medal cabinet, like old pal Alan Shearer's, looks rather barren.

As he prepares to open negotiations over a new contract, Owen will be heartened to hear that Keegan, and the board, have serious ambitions. It is that rather than his salary which will satisfy him.

He said in yesterday's programme: "You want to push for things, and get a trophy. Speaking to the manager about his plans, I know he certainly wants the same success."

Owen is guaranteed legendary status on Tyneside at last after his two goals against North- East rivals Sunderland took his tally this season to 10 from 21 starts. He was the difference between pretty average teams.

He said: 'I wouldn't like to say everything is great because I've only played 20 games on the spin, and yet I suppose it's the best time I've had up here.

"But that's still not good enough. I want to play a full season. I've been on a great little run and I wish the season could continue. It fills everyone with optimism.

"It's lovely to be part of the club. When the manager spoke to me, he said he had big ambitions and was going to target big names. He wants to get this club to where they belong, challenging for European places. The future is looking bright."

Owen got his side off to a perfect start, sneaking in behind Paul McShane in the fourth minute to guide Geremi's fine cross expertly home as the defender marked his return to the side with the kind of dozy defending which persuaded manager Roy Keane to drop him in the first place.

Significantly, Geremi gained possession from Danny Collins's slack pass. It was a depressing feature of Sunderland's blunt approach to a game they needed to win to ease their relegation concerns ahead of next week's home date against Middlesbrough, equally unsure of their Barclays Premier League future.

But Keane must take responsibility. Although injuries to Phil Bardsley and Jonny Evans were a major blow to a side who leaked goals before their arrival in January, he got crucial selections patently wrong.

The Sunderland manager recalled Liam Miller for the first time since putting him on the transfer list three months ago and left Grant Leadbitter, Michael Chopra and Kieran Richardson on the bench. His five-man midfield left Kenwyne Jones isolated.

Habib Beye, Obafemi Martins and Owen all tested Gordon before the break but there was little to trouble Newcastle keeper Steve Harper until the 68th minute, when he made an instinctive stop from Jones's header.

Miller gave away possession for the decisive second goal in the last minute of the first half, passing to Owen, who played a one-two with Mark Viduka before Danny Higginbotham's arm halted Owen's progress and left Dean with a simple task.

Joy then for Newcastle. For Sunderland, an even more significant derby awaits.

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Ready to rock: Michael Owen (left) strokes home a penalty to give Newcastle a two-goal lead

The win maintained Keegan's 100 per cent against the Black Cats, which now stretches to five games, on a day when his mission to keep the club in the Barclays Premier League was successfully completed.

By contrast, Roy Keane's side face a tense conclusion to the season with just five points separating them from the relegation zone with three games remaining.

Newcastle's greater quality in the final third ultimately won the day and extended their unbeaten run to six games in front of a largely delighted crowd of 52,305.

They were never in any danger of losing the game from the moment Owen's header flew into the net, and although the visitors rallied after the break, Newcastle might have won more comfortably.

But on an afternoon when only the result mattered, it was the men in black and white who were celebrating on the final whistle.

Keane has spent much of the run-up to the game reminding anyone who cared to listen about the quality of Newcastle's squad, and the learning curve on which his own players have been this season.

That was was by no means an attempt to prepare his excuses in advance, but rather a reflection of reality, and he headed for Tyneside confident his players would more than compete in the 139th Tyne-Wear derby.

However, he was dealt a cruel blow even before a ball had been kicked when Jonny Evans and Phil Bardsley, his two most influential defenders, had to withdraw through injury.

Keane decided to replace the pair with Paul McShane and Danny Higginbotham, and both men were to play significant roles, although not perhaps the ones they might have wished for.

The game was only four minutes old when McShane, who had already taken a wild swing at Owen, lost the England striker and saw him run on to Geremi's cross to power a header past Craig Gordon and set St James' Park alight.

With Keane's men desperately trying to come to terms with the changes in personnel - Carlos Edwards and Liam Miller were also drafted into the starting line-up - and the 4-5-1 formation in which they were asked to play, Newcastle dominated the early stages.

They might have increased their lead with 13 minutes gone, but Gordon got down well to push away Habib Beye's low drive, and the Scot had to collect Obafemi Martins' fiercely-struck 29th-minute cross as the Nigerian made the most of McShane's indecision.

Kenwyne Jones kept the home defence of their toes despite receiving little support, and managed to create enough uncertainty to suggest there might be a way back into the game.

However, but for two long-range Andy Reid efforts, which were saved comfortably by Steve Harper, the Black Cats produced little as an attacking force.

Given the circumstances, Keane might have been happy to get his team back into the dressing room with the scoreline at 1-0, but his hopes were dashed with just seconds remaining.

Owen and Mark Viduka carved the visitors open with a deft one-two inside the penalty area and when the former Real Madrid man tried to lift the ball over the sliding Higginbotham, the ball made contact with his arm and referee Mike Dean pointed to the spot.

Owen stepped up to blast the penalty past Gordon despite the keeper getting a hand to it to leave Sunderland with a mountain to climb.

The £17million man could have completed a famous hat-trick within three minutes of the restart, but his control from Beye's cross let him down, and that was the signal for the visitors to increase their tempo.

Sunderland forced a series of corners in quick succession to exert sustained pressure on their hosts for the first time in the game, but the Magpies held firm.

Keane made his move with 58 minutes gone when he replaced Edwards with Kieran Richardson and pushed Daryl Murphy up alongside Jones.

Reid curled a 61st-minute shot just over, but as the game opened up, there were chances at both ends.

Martins perhaps should have scored with 68 minutes gone after he and Owen sliced Sunderland open, but Gordon made a vital block, and Steve Harper had to match him seconds later to keep out Jones' thumping header.

As time ran down, there was little sign of any impending drama with Newcastle easing towards the whistle and the party it sparked.

Afterwards, man-of-the-match Owen was asked about his future and discussions about extending his stay at the club - which has been hampered by injuries. He indicated he wanted to stay but stopped short of committing himself.

"In doing my skipper's notes in the programme, I stated that to the fans," he told Sky Sports 1.

"Talks haven't begun yet, the manager has pulled me to one side and said he wanted me to stay and the club would be in touch soon and that's where we stand.

"I haven't spoken to the club yet but obviously I would think in the close season then maybe they will approach me or my advisor."

Owen admitted luck was on his side when his penalty squeezed beyond Craig Gordon, and thoroughly enjoyed his first taste of victory in the Tyne-Wear derby.

"I've only played in one (derby) before due to horrendous luck with injuries in my time here and that was a draw at the Stadium of Light, so it's great to get the victory here," he said.

As for the penalty, the England striker added: "I was going to place it but Joey (Barton) put a seed of doubt in my mind, he said 'blast it, he'll go early'.

"So I blasted it and it went a bit too low but sneaked in and when you are confident and your luck is going for you, these things happen.

"I'm obviously very happy."

Newcastle: Harper, Beye, Faye, Taylor, Jose Enrique, Geremi, Butt, Barton, Owen, Viduka, Martins. Subs: Forster, Duff, Smith, Edgar, Carroll.

Sunderland: Gordon, McShane, Nosworthy, Higginbotham, Collins, Edwards, Whitehead, Miller, Reid, Murphy, Jones. Subs: Fulop, Harte, Richardson, Chopra, Leadbitter. Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)

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