Keegan praises Michael Owen

Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan has praised England striker Michael Owen after today's 2-0 victory over Fulham. The Toon now look a step closer to securing Premiership survival for another season as Owen helped secure Keegan his first victory in the Premiership in his second spell.

Keegan said: "People keep questioning all sorts of things with these great players, but they can answer them.

"Michael probably answered a few critics again today - and there are plenty out there, from what I am seeing.

"But the players always get the chance to do that on the football field. People can write what they want, but as a journalist, you have got to sit there and write what you see and today, you saw someone totally committed.

"He has led this team fantastically. He is a great skipper, not because of all the things he shouts, but because of the example he shows.

"He is a team player - we have asked him to play a different role and it is not, 'Oh, well it's not what I do', it is, 'Yes, I will do that', and he is playing it very, very well.

"I have said all the time what I think of Michael Owen. He would certainly be in most people's England side.

"What he needs is to be at a club which is successful and scores goals. Today, he is at a club that has been successful on the day and he has scored a goal.

"He is definitely in form. This idea that Michael is not as sharp as he was has been dispelled this week with his finish at Birmingham, where the one thing you think of when he scored that goal is sharpness, and today again against another committed side.

"Michael will just keep doing what he does. By all means criticise when they are not doing well, but praise them when they are."