MICHAEL OWEN is confident of becoming an England regular again, but believes Fabio Capello should already know all about his worth in front of goal.

The Newcastle United striker failed to make Capello's starting line-up for the second successive game this week, although he was introduced as a half-time substitute against France.

A peripheral role on the international stage is something new for Owen, who has scored 40 goals in 89 appearances for his country since emerging on to the scene as a raw teenager in the 1998 World Cup.

But the £16m man is unconcerned and, having returned to form at club level with goals in back-to-back matches, he feels that England's world-renowned Italian coach will be aware of his pedigree.

"It's early days with this manager. We've only played two games and they've been friendly matches. Who knows what might happen when it comes to a qualifying game?" said Owen. "The sad thing is that we're not going to be in the major tournament this summer, so it's only going to be friendlies for quite a while.

"Every player wants to play, obviously. But for now, I'm not. I'm sure he knows what I'm about. I don't feel like I have to prove myself because I've been there and done it. He's obviously seen me play, and he's watched videos of me in qualifying.

"I missed a lot of qualifying because of my cruciate injury, but when I came back I thought I played pretty well. The manager has obviously seen me play lots of times before. He knows exactly what I'm capable of and I'm not worried about that in the slightest."

After a couple of unconfirmed summer friendlies, England's attempts to qualify for the 2010 World Cup will start in September with two trips inside four days to Andorra and Croatia.

It will be during that qualifying campaign that Capello will be judged, when the tinkering with systems and personnel is likely to have calmed down.

But after the criticism which Wednesday's defeat brought, Owen hit back by claiming that there were plenty of positives to be taken from the display.

"There was an element of trying to impress a new manager in our play, but there are enough reasons to want to do well for your country whenever you play," said Owen.

"You want to win for your country, new manager or not, but his arrival is certainly another ingredient in why everyone wants to do well.

"We matched France, but they're a class team and when they go a goal up, it's hard to get one back. People are going to talk a lot about the different formations, but I wouldn't say it was an issue.

"I don't think it's a case of the players finding it difficult to get used to what he wants us to do because it's no different from what we know. He's playing formations that we all know."

If Owen keeps scoring for Newcastle, starting at Tottenham on Sunday, Capello could find it difficult to overlook the former Liverpool and Real Madrid man.

The 28-year-old is likely to be partnered up front with Mark Viduka and Obafemi Martins, with Viduka looking to renew acquaintances with former Leeds team-mate Jonathan Woodgate. Woodgate, who spent 18 months at St James' Park, is likely to start for Spurs.

"What are my memories of Jonathan Woodgate?

"He was a top bloke, a really nice guy, top bloke top player and a very good defender," said Viduka, who was part of the Leeds team that reached the Champions League semi-finals along with Woodgate in 2001.

"It was a great atmosphere at Leeds during the good times. We had a young team and everybody enjoyed the experience.

"We had tough matches - league games and Champions League games, it was a top time in my career.

"But it didn't last and, if anything, the crash tends to stick out even more because of what happened.

"I enjoyed the time at Leeds, but what happened in the end does stick in the mind.

"I was saying the other day it's not a pretty situation to be in and Newcastle were in that sort of situation.

"Whoever goes through that pain of relegation, it sticks in your mind forever and it has all come back to me this season."

With Viduka, Owen, Martins and Andy Carroll all ahead of Shola Ameobi in the pecking order on Tyneside, the former England under-21 international has been allowed to join Stoke City.

Ameobi, who has made 229 appearances for Newcastle, has gone to the Championship promotion hopefuls for the rest of the season. Norwich had also been interested