Owen sets sights on long career

The 26-year-old, who suffered the injury while playing for England at the World Cup, hopes to return in April.

"I want to be back to what I've been for the last 10 years," Owen told the Daily Mirror.

"The plus side is that with the extra strength the operation will give me, I could get another couple of years added to the end of my career."

He added: "Twenty years ago if you had this injury you were finished, but now it's a 99% success rate."

Owen travelled to Colorado in the United States where he was operated on by renowned knee specialist Dr Richard Steadman.

The England international also spent the second half of last season on the sidelines after breaking a bone in his foot at the end of December.

And he made only one appearance for Newcastle before starting preparations for the World Cup.

But he endured a frustrating campaign in Germany before his misery was compounded when he was carried off on a stretcher in the 2-2 draw against Sweden.

Surgery on the injury then had to be delayed because he required an operation to repair cartilage damage on the same knee in July.

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