Carra backs Owen

Last updated : 20 June 2006 By Al Campbell
Former Liverpool star Michael Owen has yet to score in this World Cup and could be dropped as Wayne Rooney returns from injury. However, Jamie Carragher has backed his friend to come good and do the business for England.

"You've got to remember these are virtually Michael's first games for five to six months and it's in international football, which is not as easy as people think at times," said Carra.

"I know we are supposed to go out and beat these teams but it is difficult and Michael has been getting in there and getting chances. That's the good thing that he'll be positive about.

"When he gets a bit sharper, he'll put those chances away. Michael Owen always seems to get knocked by people and he comes back and proves them wrong.

"He has had that all the way through his career. He had a few injuries at Liverpool and it always took him three or four games to get his sharpness back.

"You could see against Trinidad that maybe he wasn't as sharp as he could be in the box. But the further on it goes, the more sharper he will get.

"He is a goalscorer. He wants to score goals all the time. That is the type of striker he is. He is very single-minded and I am sure he will score goals, the sharper he gets."

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