Former Newcastle United striker Michael Bridges has slammed Michael Owen.

Owen reveals in his book, Reboot - My Life, My Time, which is serialised in the Mirror, that he regretted joining Newcastle in 2005 and saw his move to the club as a "downward step".

Bridges said that Owen's comments about Newcastle have "disrespected the club massively".

He said on Optus: "Alan has held him accountable in the past, Alan has never spoken about it and it's going to be coming out in the book and he's really upset a lot of Newcastle fans.

"I think he's disrespected the club massively and the area."

Bridges was further critical of Owen, stating that the striker couldn't adapt his game once he lost his pace due to injuries.

Bridges added: "You know the difference between these two players and a lot of other players; your Alan Shearers, your Teddy Sheringhams, your Paul Scholes, your Ryan Giggs? They were able to evolve through all kinds of eras of football and didn't just rely on one thing.

"Michael was a goal scorer, and Michael had pace. As soon as his hamstrings went, he couldn't adapt his game to play a different style of football because he didn't have the technical ability and the footballing brain."

Bridges stated that Owen's lack of a football brain meant that none of the Real Madrid players wanted him on their five-a-side team in training.

Bridges said: "A lot of players know that in the England set-up. He went to Real Madrid as well. Famously, nobody wanted Michael in the team at five-a-side because he didn't have that technical ability.

"Raul, the captain of Spain, you've got a goal scorer there and you've got the England No 9, and they're kind of thinking this guy can't play. But put him on an 11-a-side pitch and the kid was unstoppable, there's no denying that, but he could not adapt his game. And that's the big thing where Shearer has kind of gone, just pipe down young man."