Michael Owen put a smile on the face of Newcastle's management team on Monday when returning to running training.

The striker has been sidelined since suffering a serious knee injury during England's World Cup campaign in Germany last summer.

Owen has made good progress having undergone surgery in America last year and is still hopeful of making a return to action before the end of the season.

The forward has refused to set a firm date for his return, but he passed a huge psychological barrier on Monday when taking part in a training session.

The session at the club's training complex saw Owen running and undergoing some tailored training sequences and will have acted as a boost to both player and club.