ANFIELD assassin Michael Owen may be the golden boy of English football at present.
But ask Blackburn boss Graeme Souness who he fears most as Liverpool prepare to descend on Ewood tomorrow and there's only one name on his lips -- Robbie Fowler!
If anyone knows about the threat the Toxteth terrier poses to Rovers' hopes of a home win then it's Souness after the former Reds boss gave the Liverpool striker his big break at Anfield during the early 90s.
And the Ewood chief has warned his defenders they must be on red alert tomorrow if the England forward's name appears on the teamsheet.
"Robbie Fowler is right up there with anyone you'd care to mention and I believe he's the best natural finisher in the game," enthused Souness.
"He just has that knack of being in the right place at the right time and, coupled with that, he's also a very intelligent player to boot.
"Outside the box he moves very intelligently, he can link up play and he finishes for fun.
"Ian Rush was one of the best strikers I've ever played with but Robbie's right up there with him.
"You've got to remember Rushie spent most of his life at Liverpool playing in glorious teams but that's not always been the case with Robbie.
"And when you think about it, he's still only a baby, too, so his best years are still ahead of him."
From the moment Fowler first burst onto the scene as a fresh-faced teenager, Souness always knew his protege possessed star quality.
And his incessant thirst for goals quickly established him as the new darling of the Kop.
In eight goal-laden seasons he found the back of the net an astonishing 117 times, averaging better than a goal every two games.
But the subsequent emergence of Owen and Gerard Houllier's £11 million signing of Emile Heskey from Leicester, has seen him relegated to third choice striker in more recent times.
That has sparked a plethora of stories in the tabloids linking him with a posse of top clubs in the Premiership, including Rovers.
However, he could get a rare chance to shine tomorrow with Owen still nursing his way back to full fitness after more hamstring trouble over the last fortnight.
Sven Goran Eriksson rested his pocket genius last weekend for England's friendly against Sweden as a precaution.
But he returned to training on Wednesday with the Reds and caretaker boss Phil Thompson now has an embarassment of attacking riches at his dispossal as he ponders his starting 11.
One man who would have more reason than most to smile should Owen be overlooked is Rovers defender Nils-Eric Johansson.
The cultured Swede still has nightmares of his one and only meeting with Anfield's boy-wonder.
That was six years ago when he played for Sweden in an Under 16 international against England.
And Owen tormented Johansson and Co that day, typically helping himself to a couple of goals in a resounding England victory.
"I remember playing against Michael Owen once before but do we really have to talk about it?" joked Johansson.
"I think he scored a couple that day and we got beat about four or five nil.
"But, although that was a long time ago, you could tell he was a special talent even then.
"He used to score a lot of goals for England back then and he's carried on doing that ever since.
"He was always a bit small but he's since developed more muscles and I think he's a better player now than what he was then.
"I know a lot of people talk about his pace but his game's not just about that, he's a great goalscorer, too.
"It's okay being fast but you have to be there at the right time and be able to make good runs.
"So his all-round game is impressive."
That's a view shared by Souness, who believes Liverpool chief Houllier has geared his whole team around the Owen-Heskey axis.
"Michael Owen is a top player and he will always be a constant threat to anyone he plays against," said Souness.
"Having pace is a wonderful asset and he uses it to the full.
"But apart from his speed, he also has a great eye for goal and when he gets into goalscoring positions he has proved he can finish.
"So he suits the way they play.
"They try to suck you in and then counter attack quickly which is why they have Owen and Heskey up front so they use their pace."
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