Stoke manager Tony Pulis is adamant that Michael Owen has been a great signing for the club.

The former Manchester United and Liverpool striker announced last week that he is retiring from professional football at the end of the season, bringing an end to an unsuccessful spell with the Potters.

Owen has found the back of the net just once since arriving at the Britannia Stadium on a free transfer last year, and has failed to hold down a spot in the first-team due, largely, to injury and a lack of fitness.

But, Pulis believes that the deal does not represent a disappointment, and says that the striker’s time at Stoke has been a hit:

"Not at all. He has been fantastic around the place.” He is quoted by Sky Sports.

"He has been a great signing - if you look at it financially, it has been a great deal for the football club in lots of respects.

"Michael was really unlucky at the beginning of the season, picking up those couple of injuries.

"If he had got through that and pushed on, then we might be talking about different things now. But it is what has happened to Michael over the past few years."

Owen’s next career step is, as of yet, unknown, but there are rumours he could move into either coaching or work as an agent.

Pulis believes that whatever he does he will be a success:

“Michael has to decide what he wants to do and then I'm sure he will give it his best, and that will be good enough, whatever career he goes into - whether it is coaching, management, if he wants to be an agent, a horse owner, whatever."

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