Amazon to keep Alan Shearer and Michael Owen apart after signing pair up for punditry

Former Newcastle and England teammates reopened their feud following the publication of Michael Owen's autobiography earlier this year

Posted Tuesday, December 03, 2019 by Dailystar.co.uk

Amazon Prime has Alan Shearer and Michael Owen on board as pundits as it launches its Premier League coverage this week - but the two will be kept apart after their public row.

A host of top commentators and pundits has been recruited by Amazon Prime as it prepares to show all 10 of this week's midweek Premier League games in what will be an online first for English football.

As well as Shearer and Owen, other pundits will include Peter Crouch and Thierry Henry.

But former Newcastle and England team-mates Shearer and Owen are unlikely to be the punditry sofa together after a feud between the two was reignited earlier this year.

They fell out after Shearer accused Owen of being reluctant to play in the finale to the 2008-09 season when Toon were relegated from the Premier League.

A feud between Alan Shearer and Michael Owen was reignited following the publication of the latter's autobiography

Former Liverpool and Manchester United striker Owen hit back in his autobiography this year, insisting he was being blamed for the managerial shortcomings of then Newcastle caretaker boss Shearer.

The row then moved to Twitter , where a video was posted of Owen explaining to BT Sport how much he hated his time at Newcastle and wanted to retire.

That drew Shearer's ire, with the former striker tweeting: "Yes Michael, we thought that also, whilst on £120k a week....."

Owen responded, saying: "Not sure you are as loyal to Newcastle and you make out mate. I distinctly remember you being inches away from signing for Liverpool after Sir Bobby Robson put you on the bench. You tried everything to get out."

Amazon Prime will also be showing this year's Boxing Day games, and Mirror Football has previously reported that the US broadcaster was trying to line up the pair to be pundits for the Boxing Day clash between Manchester United and Newcastle.

An Amazon insider said: “It would be great to have both of them in the studio but we would settle for one being in the studio and the other one alongside the match commentator.”

Amazon Prime will also have top commentators on its team for this week's games - including Clive Tyldesley, Jon Champion, Connor McNamara and Guy Mowbray

Award-winning production company Sunset + Vine will run the outside broadcasts, while Amazon Prime's Goals Centre will be broadcast from BT Sport’s studio in east London.