Alan Shearer signs off in May with his retirement, but he wants team-mate Michael Owen - who claimed his first hat-trick in a black and white shirt at West Ham on Saturday - to push fourth-placed Tottenham for a Champions League spot.
Shearer: "I honestly believe that if Michael stays fit, then we are still in with a shout of qualifying for the Champions League again. As far I am concerned, I am really enjoying playing alongside him and we all know that we are much better team when he is in it.
"Obviously, what is a big help is that we have not been exactly thrown together in the Newcastle team because we played together for England.
And of course, we are not just team-mates on the pitch, but good pals off it.
"I have never scored one like Michael did on Saturday - left foot, right foot and one off my ear! It's because Michael gets into such great positions, like he did from Nobby Solano's free-kick, that the ball ends up in the net no matter what part of him it comes off.
"My partnership with Michael is still in its early stages, mainly because he has missed a couple of games because of injuries, and really it is a different kind of partnership than I had with Les Ferdinand. That was about power and me and him battling and scrapping for everything. Don't get me wrong, Michael is not easily pushed off the ball, but now it is also about his pace and his ability to turn half-chances into goals."