Michael Owen taking his coaching badges - exclusive

Michael Owen has made his first steps towards a career in management by taking his coaching badges.

The England and Newcastle legend has been learning the ropes on the training pitch, and is studying for one of the FA's preliminary awards.

Owen, 28, has always insisted he wants to go into horseracing full time after his playing career, and has even opened up his own state-of-the-art stable.

But he is showing his commitment to Newcastle by staying behind following morning training to pass on his knowledge to the club's Under-17s and Under-19s.

Owen has been joined by fellow seniors Shay Given and Steve Harper, and worked with the kids all yesterday afternoon. Players go from Level 2 and 3 awards, up to UEFA A and B badges, and ultimately the Premier League managers' qualification, the UEFA Pro-Licence.

That is good and bad news for boss Joe Kinnear. He wants his senior players to take a vocal lead in the dressing room and during training - but it also means it will not be just local hero Alan Shearer breathing down his neck as a candidate for manager.

Club skipper Owen and Given will looking to lift Toon out of the bottom three in Saturday's derby clash with Middlesbrough.

Steven Taylor and Mark Viduka will be on the bench after recovering from injury.

Shearer says Owen is key to United's revival on the pitch.

He said: "Newcastle are certainly not one of the three worst teams in the division.

"They'll get out of trouble. It's just that with others winning as well it's a bit of a struggle at the moment.

"Michael will always score goals. The secret of a natural finisher is that he'll always go back, make the right runs.

"A top striker is never afraid to miss because you know you can't score every time but that given a couple of chances you'll tuck one away.

"Michael's performance when he came on against Wigan was typical of him - and all finishers. He missed one good chance close in and then buried another."

Kinnear has been charged with improper conduct by the FA after he described ref Martin Atkinson as "Mickey Mouse" after Toon's 2-1 defeat at Fulham.

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