Shearer and Owen can be the very best

The former England double act will play together for Newcastle for the first time this afternoon with the Magpies boss rating them up with the duo he sees as the best in the business - Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush.

The Liverpool legends managed 510 goals for the Reds between them and, despite 35-year-old Shearer quitting the game at the end of the season, Souness believes his strikers can still write their names in the history books.

"It's up there on paper with any partnership you want to name that's played in the history of English football," said Souness, whose side are still searching for their opening goal of the season.

"Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush will go down in the history books as one of the best partnerships - in terms of winning things - they might be the very best.

"But I don't think there are too many Premiership managers will relish coming up against Shearer and Owen.

"I think if you're a realist - Alan 35 and Michael approaching his best years - you're still hoping they're going to get lots of goals, but anyone with any intelligence would want a 30-year old Alan Shearer and a 20-year-old Michael Owen.

"But we've got the second best thing and I think any other Premier League manager would be delighted with that pairing as well."

Souness expects Owen to be determined to prove he is still one of the best strikers in the business, but the Magpies boss issued a note of caution to Newcastle fans expecting the £16m man to hit the ground running this afternoon, admitting he has managed just an hour's training with his new team-mates.

The England striker looked rusty in the embarrassing 1-0 defeat against Northern Ireland in Belfast in midweek, and spent just Friday morning training with his new club mates.

"In everyone's eyes he was not a failure in Madrid but deep down, given the personality he has, he'll think he has failed in Madrid which I think we can benefit from," said Souness, who was told by chairman Freddy Shepherd yesterday that the minimum requirement this term is a top-six finish.

"The world of football doesn't think he has failed but I know deep down he still thinks he has a point to prove.

"His preparation hasn't been ideal. Ten days after we bought him was the first time he got the chance to meet his new team-mates (on Thursday).

"He doesn't do anything other than a warm down, and we've got an hour with him on Friday morning. Not great preparation."

Owen himself is relishing the chance to team up with his former international skipper, admitting he thought when Shearer quit as England's premier striker after Euro 2000, he wouldn't get the chance again.

"You never expect to play together again," said the 25-year-old. "We played quite a bit for England and I never expected to play with him again.

"Especially when he announced this was going to be his last season. That was another of the many reasons that persuaded me to come to Newcastle."

Shearer also revealed he would be delighted if Owen ended the season as top scorer, but is hoping there are still plenty of goals in the partnership for both players.

And the skipper believes the effect of Newcastle signing as big a star as England's current number one striker, will be felt in the region for years to come.

"There is no doubt he can finish top scorer and I sincerely hope he does," said Shearer, who is still six goals short of Jackie Milburn's 200 for the Magpies.

"The manager and chairman have brought him in to score goals and that's what he is great at.

"His goalscoring record suggests that and I think it is a tad disrespectful of my previous partners since Les (Ferdinand) who I have played with, and alongside, to suggest it was a mere formality of me finishing top scorer.

"But I would be more than happy if Michael was to take that away from me, no problem, great.

"I hope it (the partnership) hasn't changed a great deal although both of our play has changed slightly - certainly mine has in five years it has.

"I've had to adapt as injuries have taken their toll, but I hope there are still goals in there because that's what we get paid for to score goals and win matches.

"His (Owen's) signing has been a huge boost for everyone, the fans, the players, for the chairman and the manager.

"It has just been a huge boost for the football club and a great coup for the area with the choices he had, for him to come to Newcastle excites everyone.

"Our season starts now. We have a point which is not enough but whatever has happened in the previous games is done with, our season starts at 3 o'clock on Saturday."

* Newcastle discovered yesterday that Nolberto Solano will only be suspended for today's game against Fulham and is free to return against Blackburn Rovers next Sunday. The Football Association ruled his three-game ban for being sent off playing for Aston Villa should be completed when Villa play Spurs a week today.