Monday, April 23, 2007
Stronger and better than ever
Michael Owen returns from his injury hell, vowing: "I'm not just back - I'm back stronger and better than ever."Owen's nightmare will end when he steps out for Newcastle at Reading's Madejski Stadium on Monday week.
And he promises to show Toon fans and all of England what they have been missing since his World Cup ended in agony last summer.
Owen, 27, said: "I have had 10 months out and had to grit my teeth and work long hours to get back.
"Lots of people can come back from a cruciate injury, but not many people come back BETTER from a cruciate injury. I don't THINK it has been a blessing in disguise ... I KNOW it has.
"I am positive this break has happened for a reason and it will prolong my career and allow me to play into my mid-30s rather than my early 30s."
Owen had set his heart on returning to face Chelsea this afternoon, but a minor groin injury meant Newcastle boss Glenn Roeder was not prepared to risk him.
So the comeback has been delayed and Reading will be his first competitive appearance since being carried off only four minutes into England's match against Sweden in Cologne last June.
After a season working one-to-one with consultant physiotherapist John Green, Owen is more like the Bionic Man.
He said: "I had two operations on my knee, so I spent a few-months in a brace. I'd broken my foot prior to that, so I had four major operations in a year.
"Add all that together and I'd been sitting on my backside for too long, so it wasn't just my leg which needed rehabilitation, it was my whole body."
