Owen left Liverpool to join Real Madrid for �8m in 2004

Gerrard feels Owen, a �17m signing from Real Madrid in August 2005, would solve his side's goalscoring problems.

Owen said: "It is nice of Steven to say what he thinks of me, but someone else makes those decisions.

"I am happy here, as I have always said. I made a decision last summer to come here and have loved every minute."

He added: "Stevie has said they need a striker, or that they need to score more goals.

"He's a good friend of mine, so I'd expect him to say 'Michael Owen is a good player' because I would say the same about him."

Owen has not played this year because of a broken foot and admits he has been frustrated by his long lay-off.

"Thankfully when I have played, we have managed to get some points and I have managed to get some goals," he told his club's website.

"I'd be feeling pretty awful if that hadn't been the case and I'd played nine or 10 games and nothing had happened when I had played.

"That's the only softening of the blow. But the rest of it is not. I'm disappointed that I haven't played as much, but it will not be long until I will be playing again.