United star finally hitting the headlines for all the right reasons

Football FanCast columnist Alex Rowland is delighted to see Michael Owen back in the headlines for all the right reasons.

He probably doesn't know how he has done it. He probably goes to bed every night chuckling at his change in fortunes. But little Michael Owen is back to being a news story for the right reasons. The biggest surprise story regarding a ‘Michael' of the summer is starting to look like some good business. 

With four goals in four tour matches, the last of which was a ripe, dipping volley, Michael is again being talked about as an England international rather than a club bench warmer. 

It was fair that at the end of last season he was being kept out of the Newcastle United team by Andy Carroll and Obafemi Martins. Those players were outshining him as Alan Shearer desperately tried to keep Newcastle up. Michael looked well and truly past it, not even useful as an impact player. He would skulk on after about 70 minutes, jog around a bit, miss a chance, and skulk off after another Newcastle loss.  

So what a change around that on the tour of the Far East he has been running free, scoring, and even smiling. Ferguson conceded that the standard of the opposition didn't provide an "acid test" but he does look a different player to the guy who luke-warmly applauded the Georgie faithful as the Magpies were relegated on the final day of last season. 

He has been given the infamous no.7 shirt, as worn by Best, Robson, Cantona, Beckham and Ronaldo. Owen seems to be alarmingly short of those pantheons of English football, but who else could Ferguson have given the shirt to? Tosic? Nani? Valencia? They might prove to be great footballers, but not yet. He is a more experienced player with a better career to date, so giving it to him was a low risk, sensible decision.  

The number 7 shirt inherited from a certain Portuguese prima donna with inevitably draw comparisons. But Ronaldo was sold for 80 million and Michael Owen signed for free. Is Owen really 80 million pounds worse than Ronaldo? No. So the two transfers made sense.  

Ferguson seems likely to prefer the first choice pairing of Rooney and Berbatov; two 30 million pound footballers with more ability than Owen. Berbatov will still frustrate with his laziness but Rooney will make up for that and any top team can have one luxury player. Owen will probably be used more sparingly against lesser opposition, but if he proves to be the goal scorer he has been throughout his career then he will be trusted with more high profile games. 

In the past Owen has gone from a thriller at Liverpool to bad at Newcastle. Once again he is looking dangerous. Keep an eye out Fabio.

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