NEVER before has a plate of scrambled eggs caused me such grief. I hadn’t even had my first cup of tea yesterday morning when the texts started: “Michael Owen going to Bolton? Is Michael Owen the striker you’re talking about? Are we signing Michael Owen?”

My exact response wasn’t printable. But on further inspection, the internet had been alive with rumours since Sunday night after a cheeky tweet from former England cricket skipper Michael Vaughan had revealed the former Manchester United striker had been in “talks” with Phil Gartside at Haydock Races.

Sure enough, that got picked up by websites and papers, and by lunchtime I felt I had to put a call in to the club to make sure.

As I’ve mentioned before, you can never say never. And while the likelihood of Wanderers picking up Owen’s wage was minimal – I had just written a story about Owen Coyle being on the lookout for a striker.

Thankfully, the matter was cleared up and I can now exclusively reveal that Owen is not poised to sign for Bolton Wanderers, but he did sit down to a spot of brekkie with the chairman and esteemed sports agent, Andrew “Chubby” Chandler – who would soon be celebrating Ernie Els’ victory at The Open.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy nipping on Twitter for a bit of banter, particularly when I’ve been holed up Alan Partridge style in a hotel for six days. But the rate and intensity at which it spreads rumours is quite scary at times.

What is probably meant as an off-hand remark suddenly snowballs and gets reported as a matter of fact by some, let’s say less reputable, news sources. Still, it did give me an easy diary piece to write.

Owen, if his own Twitter account is to be believed, was complaining about spending 30p to nip to the loo at Euston Station yesterday en route to carrying the Olympic torch in Battersea.

Times must be tight.

Going back to the breakfast theme, on Sunday morning I sat down at the next table to a bunch of Huddersfield Town players who have been staying in my hotel.

Jordan Rhodes for the Reebok, anyone?