Keegan: Owen can be the best ever

The former Liverpool player, who managed to conclude the interview without a single Scouser joke, knows only too well how good the 23-year-old can be after suffering at the hands of an Owen hatrick earlier in the season. Keegan feels that the England forward will continue to defy his critics for years to come.

"I am not going to say too much about Michael Owen because I built him up before our last League game and he got a hatrick.

"He could become the most prolific Liverpool striker yet, but it is dependant on so many things.

"I think Michael's record in the League stands up to any scrutiny. I do enjoy watching him. He is one of those players who is not without his critics but he just keeps proving them wrong."