Michael Owen admits he is desperate to put his injury
nightmares behind him and to prove the critics
wrong.
Injury has restricted the Newcastle striker to only 14 first-team
appearances since his £17million move from Real Madrid in 2005 and
some have suggested he has become injury prone.
Owen missed the majority of last season after damaging his anterior
cruciate knee ligament while on England duty in the 2006 World
Cup.
However, having rediscovered his fitness, the 27-year-old is now
more focused than ever to show he still has the top-level
goalscoring touch.
"It's never been a goal of mine before to stay fit, but I suppose
after these last two years, I want to play a full season," Owen
told Newcastle's official website.
"I don't consider myself injury prone. I have played a lot of games
throughout my career for club and country and it's frustrating that
my injuries have happened at Newcastle.
"I'm definitely going into this season as strong as I have been for
a long, long time and I don't envisage any problems.
"If I'm fit, everyone knows I will score goals. I have done that
all my life."
Owen has scored seven goals in 13 starts for Newcastle and he found
the back of the net for the first time in a year with his strike in
England's 3-0 European Championship qualifier victory over Estonia
in June.
