Michael Owen contracted the mumps after the end of last season.
Michael Owen - had the mumps - but still enjoys training 
And the Newcastle captain for next season missed England’s tour of the Caribbean in June because of the virus.
Michael is now fine and back in full training, but Keegan doesn’t want to take any risks with his valuable player, and Owen will also sit out this weekend’s friendly at Doncaster Rovers.
Michael said today:
“When I pulled out of the England squad for the games with the United States and Trinidad and Tobago, everyone thought I had a virus,”
“But it turned out that I had the mumps, and they would not let me go in case I infected any of the other England players.”
“And while I would not say I was in a bad way it wasn’t very pleasant at all.”
“It did affect me for a while - I was quite ill and I was not allowed to do anything for four weeks.”
“When I came back to Newcastle our doctor here worked out a program for me and it has been a slightly different program from the rest of the players.”
“And instead of going straight into the deep end with the rest of the lads, we have just been making slow progress.”
“That’s why you did not see me at Hartlepool on Saturday and why I won’t be out there at Doncaster Rovers on Saturday.”
“Perhaps I might get to play in one of the games in Majorca next weekend.”
“But I should definitely be OK for our first home friendly with PSV Eindhoven on August 6.”
It’s good that Michael has explained that, and of course the most important thing is to have him fit for our first league game at Manchester United on August 17th.
That will be a tough game to start our season, to say the least, but we still expect at least a point.
Kevin is right, not to push the former Liverpool star, since we must somehow get more games out of Michael this coming season.
Yes, we’re still waiting to hear the news that Michael has signed a new contract at the club, but everybody seems to be thinking that is just a matter of time now.
Michael was great for us at the end of last season and we must have him firing on all cylinders right at the start of this season, so we can get off to a good start, which will be so vital for the confidence of the team.
Comments welcome.
27 responses so far ↓
1 staffsmag // Jul 24, 2008 at 13:04
1st lol
2 staffsmag // Jul 24, 2008 at 13:04
Why did this not come out sooner - no big shame in getting mumps is there ?
3 WesToon // Jul 24, 2008 at 13:18
What more could go wrong with this Lad??? Put a space suit on him,aswell as bubble wrapp!!! UN-FRIKKEN BELIEVABLE
4 Davies // Jul 24, 2008 at 13:24
What’s Milner doing to Owen’s head in that picture?
5 HATE PRAWN SANDWICHES // Jul 24, 2008 at 13:35
come on Mr Tight , spend some money!!
6 bob marley // Jul 24, 2008 at 13:50
wtf are the mumps?
7 staffsmag // Jul 24, 2008 at 13:54
looks like we have a new german coach and they are practicing the goose step !!!! lol
8 Leo // Jul 24, 2008 at 13:54
michael owen does not like speaking to the press because they always miscontrue everything he says just like many on hear will have done, ie. whats shameful with having mumps, im guessing you think there is something more sinister about it?
if someone is ill like that the last thing they want to do is speak to the press and have them all over the papers making up various other stories about what he is ‘actually doing’
9 staffsmag // Jul 24, 2008 at 13:56
@bob marley
Mumps is a viral infection of the parotid salivary glands. These glands are located just below and in front of the ears. They produce saliva, which drains into the mouth and helps to break up and digest food.
10 Leo // Jul 24, 2008 at 13:56
staffsmag any idea of the actual training method that they are actually using? looks fun
goose steps, you crack me up lol
11 staffsmag // Jul 24, 2008 at 13:57
Leo - fair point !! Tell them nowt - and they will still make stuff up anyway
12 staffsmag // Jul 24, 2008 at 13:59
Yeah its actually called lets all point at a mackem and laugh !!!!
13 bob marley // Jul 24, 2008 at 13:59
thank you!!!
14 staffsmag // Jul 24, 2008 at 14:00
The mackem in question is naturally Anal Oliver getting another one of his accurate and oh so true exclusive stories !!!!!! lmfao
15 brownrob // Jul 24, 2008 at 14:10
I had the mumps last year… I wouldnt wish it on anyone else, not even Fernando
Me mother said “yeah you want to eat soft foods like yoghurt….” baaaaaaad idea
It knocks you for six, i couldnt even sleep when I had it, the pain in my neck was unbearable, I took strongest painkillers, so could sleep a few hours before they wore off again
Then Dad took me to see a woman with “the cure” up some mountain in the backend of ireland, reminded me a little of the film, wrong turn… anyway, she mumbled around me and took me to a bridge, told me id be better in the morning, I was like “yeah right, im only here as dad made me come
Sure enough I woke up and I was 99% better, still knackered though
Maybe she knew Glenn Hoddle, but totally shocked me that it worked!!!!
16 shearer4pm // Jul 24, 2008 at 14:34
davies, i think you mean, whats michael’s hand doin to james milners “head” in this picture
17 Danish_Magpie // Jul 24, 2008 at 14:48
Ed,
It’s good that you are optimistic - too much negativity has surrounded NUFC recently - but..:
“That will be a tough game to start our season, to say the least, but we still expect at least a point.”
You expect AT LEAST a point at Old Trafford? I mean, I of course hope for a win, more realistically I do hope to be able to get a lucky point from there, but I am EXPECTING a loss. There is a difference between optimism and naiivity… One can hope for one thing and expect another. Surely, with our team, we cannot EXPECT to go to places like Old Trafford for “AT LEAST a point”?
18 Howie // Jul 24, 2008 at 14:57
brownrob in all seriousness where in ireland is this woman
19 Neil B // Jul 24, 2008 at 15:02
I love the way Owen’s ‘injury’ has been reported in the press as a muscle strain and that ‘injury prone’ Michael Owen blah blah blah.
Just goes to show how much rubbish really is spouted day to day in the press.
20 Ian Grainger // Jul 24, 2008 at 15:11
Is that the “I thought HE was defending” training routine?
21 Toonlad // Jul 24, 2008 at 16:11
Please don’t take me the wrong way, guys. It’s only an observation.
I find it a little unusual that Michael, being a much travelled player nationally and internationally, hasn’t been vaccinated for something as common as mumps. There is a triple-coupled vaccine for mumps, measles and rubella, which has been around for donkeys years, and kids are innoculated for it in the early years. Whilst some immunity may lose a level of potency in the body eg tetanus, (hence a booster is often given) in cases like mumps vaccines, it retains a good level of antibodies to fight reinfections over a long period of time. I had mine as a kid back in the stone age and I still have immunity. Adults can be vaccinated if they don’t have any previous immunity.
Of course,he may have needle phobia or his parents declined at the material time.
22 WIGAZ // Jul 24, 2008 at 16:11
Good to hear he’s on the mend! we need owen fit & raring to go if we stand a chance of getting owt at Old trafford, know we just need a certain tight fisted chubby billionaire to reach in his pocket & give the king some sheets!!!!! we need quality asap!!!!
23 Daniel // Jul 24, 2008 at 16:14
Owen very rarely talks to the press, and even when he does its through his column in the paper. Im not overly worried by it - he did it last summer regarding his future, and he will keep on doing it. If he answers every piece of speculation he wouldnt get a chance to train let alone anything else, and its in line with keeping business “In House”
I would rather that than bitching in the papers, look how N’Zogbia, Martins etc have the quotes twisted.
24 brownrob // Jul 24, 2008 at 16:15
A place called Glangevlin near the County Cavan/Leitrim border… Its way off the beaten track
Commonly known as Glan
http://www.glangevlin.com/
In all seriousness, when Dad was younger he badly sprained his ankle, he was carried into a different house, got “the cure” done and walked out by himself, not 100% better but 90%, He also got it done for when he had jaundice, and kidney stones, he had to drinka home brew of stuff…
Before you people think we are hippies or backwater savages, we arent! Thats Middlesbrough!
25 Reb // Jul 24, 2008 at 18:43
@Toonlad — Owen has had a transplant (his ACL is not his, there was a big article about his “dead man walking” ACL surgery) and will be on immuno-suppressants. That means he probably had to have boosters to all his vaccinations before travelling to a nation where the diseases are more common due to lower health standards (T&T), and he had a reaction to the MMR vaccine — he got the mumps.
26 Punk Skunk // Jul 24, 2008 at 20:11
Woah, we’ve got some amazin’ dr’s on here today!..Know where i’ll be tunin’ into next time i’m i’ll, nice one lads!..
27 clinta // Jul 25, 2008 at 2:02
‘expect at least a point’ ??? come now ed i know your a newcastle fan and at times were famous for overstating our teams abilities, but at least a point is a big call.
did you watch newcastle and man u play at all last year?
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