Owen aiming to book his place

Judging from recent events in Paris, the name of Michael Owen is clearly not the first one which Kevin Keegan writes down on his team-sheet, but it was certainly the one uppermost in the mind of the media yesterday as hardened hacks patiently waited in line for him to autograph their copy of his new book.

Judging from recent events in Paris, the name of Michael Owen is clearly not the first one which Kevin Keegan writes down on his team-sheet, but it was certainly the one uppermost in the mind of the media yesterday as hardened hacks patiently waited in line for him to autograph their copy of his new book.

It was hard to imagine them doing the same with Alan Shearer, and if they had it would been done somewhat grudgingly. Everyone likes Owen. They like his boyish charm and they like his modesty and, paradoxically, they like his unshakeable belief in his own ability. Contrary to what some people may think, England does love its heroes - it just prefers them to be unassuming with it.

Launching a biography, albeit largely a pictorial one, at 20 years of age may not exactly smack of the shy, retiring type but he is only giving the public what it wants. Besides, Owen does appear to have packed an awful lot already into his short, professional life, which not so long ago looked as if it might be over almost before it had begun.

Owen's comeback this season from his interminable hamstring problems of the previous year has been the best news the England coach could have had after the disappointment of Euro 2000, if he but knew it. It has certainly encouraged Owen to think more long-term and to believe that he could be the man to succeed Shearer.

But first of all he has to be selected and after being left out of the starting line-up against the world and European champions France this month he is taking nothing for granted. He is hoping, though, that his form for Liverpool - not to mention his match-saving equaliser against the French when he came on as a substitute - will leave Keegan with no other option than to pick him for next month's World Cup qualifier against Germany.

"I've got to force his hand," he said, adding somewhat pointedly: "I've played against Germany and won the game. I don't think there are many people in England who have got a good record against Germany."

He appears undaunted by the pressure of expectation. He welcomes it. He knows that if he is to assume Shearer's mantle he has to keep delivering when it most matters. "When I was an England fan and we were losing 1-0 against Germany, I'd be thinking: 'come on, Lineker'. You rely on certain people and you knew that with Alan Shearer, give him half a chance he'd score. As a striker you want to be relied upon to carry the flag for England... And you want the manager to pick you and believe in you."

As for Owen's own ability as a selector, there may be a few eyebrows raised over his Premiership "Dream Team" in Michael Owen in Person (Collins Willow; £9.99). He deliberately did not include any Liverpool players but did select one old boy - David James. "When he's on fire, I don't think there are many better than him," he said. If he were not so modest, he could easily have been talking about himself.