Newcastle United soccer fans have new Michael Owen named shirts printed at the club shop in Newcastle, England, yesterday. (Photo: AP)

NEWCASTLE, England (AP) - England striker Michael Owen agreed to join Newcastle from Real Madrid on a four-year contract yesterday - with Magpies fans buying shirts with his name on the back even before he had passed a medical exam.

Owen discussed a return to Liverpool, his former team, before deciding to play for the Magpies and team up again with former England captain Alan Shearer.

Newcastle did not reveal the transfer fee, but said they beat the club-record £15 million (US$26.8 million; 22 million euro) they paid for Shearer in 1996.

"He's someone who can become a legend with Newcastle United fans," Newcastle manager Graeme Souness said. "In football, the hardest thing to get in your team is someone who puts the ball in the back of the net and Michael is the best at doing that.

"I can understand people who liken it to the signing of Alan Shearer. I'd say it's the biggest transfer I've been involved in as a manager of any football club."

Newcastle said the 25 year-old Owen, who has a history of hamstring trouble, would have a medical exam before finalising the deal. But that didn't stop fans from lining up to buy shirts with Owen's name on them.

The club said Owen would be introduced at a news conference today. British news reports said Owen was forced to join the Magpies because Liverpool were unwilling to match the fee of £17 million (US$24.8 million; 24.8 million euro) sought by Real Madrid.

That left Owen with the choice of staying as Madrid's fifth-choice striker or joining Newcastle, a club struggling in the Premier League and not qualified for European competition. The last time Newcastle won the league title was in 1927.

Owen wanted to leave Madrid because he needs match practice in the build-up to next year's World Cup. He scored 16 goals last season after joining Madrid for 8 million euro (US$9.7 million) in August 2004, but failed to get a regular first-team place.

Souness has struggled to find the right partner for Shearer, trying out Craig Bellamy and Patrick Kluivert before releasing them. He has recently hired Albert Luque from Deportivo de La Coruna but the Spaniard is likely to be a back-up to the Shearer-Owen partnership.

If Owen passes his medical, he will wear the No 10 shirt and play alongside Shearer, who was his strike partner at the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship.
England won just three of the 12 games they started together, losing five of the other nine.

Shearer, 35, retired from international soccer after Euro 2000 and was due to finish his career at the end of last season before agreeing to stay on at St James' Park.

Newcastle are next-to-last after four Premier League games and are the only team yet to score. Owen's arrival should help - he scored 158 goals in 297 appearances for Liverpool, his first club.

Owen scored more goals against Newcastle than any other team, but never played under current Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez.

Although he's a regular for England, Owen wasn't even a substitute for Madrid's season opener against Cadiz on Sunday. It was the first time he had been omitted from the squad for reasons other than injury.

Madrid's director of soccer Arrigo Sacchi said he was sad to see Owen leave but understood his reasons.

"He's now a player for the English club. We're saying this with disappointment because we have lost a great professional, a first-class player and a person who is always positive," Sacchi said.

"He asked to leave because this is World Cup year and here he wasn't always going to play. We didn't want to loan him out and only when a big offer arrived did we accept his transfer."

Cameal: Sittin' On Top

Laws of Men

Alton Ellis hailed a musical icon