Owen left Newcastle in the summer when his contract expired, only to be snapped up by Sir Alex Ferguson.

It was move that took the football world by surprise but Robson believes United will benefit greatly from the signing.

While injury limited Owen to 65 starts in four seasons at Newcastle, he still managed to score 30 goals. His tally with England is equally impressive - 40 in 89 international appearances.

Speaking at the launch of Manchester's bid to be host city in the 2018 World Cup, Robson said: "It is a great signing, getting someone like Michael in on a free transfer.

"He is a great player. He is only 29 and for me he is in the peak of his career.

"The way United play and the way they dominate possession it will suit Michael's game.

"He will be in and around the box and I can see him scoring a lot of goals this season. I can also see him getting back in the England squad."

Robson is convinced that the former Real Madrid and Liverpool front man is in no better place when it comes to receiving a high level of care, combined with injury-prevention methods.

He said: "The fitness coaches will have sorted out an individual regime for Michael and he will work through it during the season.

"The manager is very good at when to rest players and when to play them. He rotates his squad and that will help Michael."

Owen's arrival has been warmly welcomed at United following the departures of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez.

With Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov already on board there will be stiff competition for places in attack.

Robson maintains that Rooney is growing as a player and a person after learning from veterans Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes.

"Wayne has a mature head on his shoulders, " said Robson. "The move to United has been fantastic for him.

"That is because of the manager and people like Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes. Wayne has taken on a lot of the stuff they do, the way they dedicate themselves to football.

"I think it has changed Wayne's character to a certain degree. He is a fiery lad but he has channelled that aggression well the last two seasons. He is a top player and very important to United."