Stoke City: Michael Owen aiming to win starting place on merit
ENGLAND legend Michael Owen says he doesn’t expect to win a place in the Stoke City side on reputation alone.
The 32-year-old former European Footballer of the Year trained with his new team-mates for the first time yesterday after signing a one-year contract on a free transfer.
-
Michael Owen at Clayton Wood training ground. Picture: Phil Greig/Stoke City Football Club
His arrival raises the possibility of him forming a Stoke City strike partnership with his former England team-mate Peter Crouch.
However, Owen says he will have to fight for a place among a forward department which also includes Jon Walters, Kenwyne Jones and Cameron Jerome.
Call WHITEGATES Today 01782 209935 ..Limited offer. Available only up on production of voucher. Sell your home for £399 plus vat.* #EPC is required to market your home not included in offer.
Terms: *Upfront payment, non-refundable in the event of property remaining unsold, being withdrawn from the market or being sold by another agent, yourself or by any other means.#EPC £62.50 plus vat.
Contact: 01782 209 935
Valid until: Thursday, July 04 2013
He says he’s delighted to link up with Crouch, but isn’t assuming he’ll be partnering him for the Potters.
The former Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle and Manchester United striker said: “I know a couple of lads here from past experience, be that with England or different clubs. Peter is one of them.
“He has done fantastically well since he joined Stoke, but there are many strikers at the club so I am not expecting it to be an easy ride.
“I will have to work to play any part and I am prepared to do that.
“There are a lot of top players at the club. I am just going to hopefully fit in well with the squad and have a good season.”
Owen says his first task is to prove his fitness having missed Stoke’s pre-season campaign.
He only played four games for Manchester United last season, but was available for some of the games he missed.
The striker’s one-year contract is understood to include a basic wage of less than £20,000 a week, but heavily weighted towards appearances and goals.
He said: “I have done as much as I can at home and with a physio I know, so I come here in decent shape.
“I’ll obviously need to catch up a bit and we will be assessing me over the next couple of days, but first and foremost I am delighted to be here.
“Inevitably most players miss one or two games during the season, but if I can stay fit for the majority of the campaign then that’s got to be my personal goal.”
The striker, who is England’s fourth highest goalscorer with 40 goals in 89 appearances, says he is also looking forward to working with Tony Pulis.
He added: “I met the manager two or three months ago and we were singing from the same hymn sheet.
“I think it’s important to have a healthy respect for your manager and to understand what he wants. I feel I will get that here with Tony Pulis.
“We had a good chat, it’s just a shame it took a few months after that before I signed.
“But anyway I am here now and looking forward to it.”
Owen played for Manchester United at the Britannia last year and says he’s looking forward to having the Stoke fans on his side the next time he runs out at the stadium.
He added: “They don’t get 70,000 here, but it’s full every week, and pound-for-pound is definitely one of the noisiest in the country.”
Pulis has made it clear he wants Owen in his starting line-up if fully fit. He said: “Michael’s got the bit between his teeth and wants to play.
“He’s more than just an impact sub. We want Michael fit, in the team and playing regularly again.
“We’ll assess his fitness levels over the next three days and take it from there. It’s important we see what level he is at before we push him.
“But we believe, once he’s match fit, that he’ll prove he can still score goals in the Premier League.”
Comments
by SCFC4EVA
Tuesday, September 11 2012, 10:07PM
“befordstokie. You are extremely annoying. I think you employ passive aggresive behaviour and rile the majority regardless of the content of your posts.
Negativity is your main premise, followed up by rapid abuse should people disagree or offer to show support regardless of bad results or performances. You do moan a lot."
see how simple it is for me to say the exact same thing back to you and others bedford ??
i just copied and pasted and changed the name and so I included your spelling mistake”
by bedfordstokie
Tuesday, September 11 2012, 8:34PM
“SCFC/soccerfoot/jswords(?). You are extremely annoying. I think you employ passive aggresive behaviour and rile the majority regardless of the content of your posts.
Negativity is your main premise, followed up by rapid abuse should people disagree or offer to show support regardless of bad results or performances. You do moan a lot.”
by boothernender
Tuesday, September 11 2012, 8:14PM
“Not interested Moron.”
by boothernender
Tuesday, September 11 2012, 8:17AM
“No EVA you don't just pass your opinion, you give your opinion of every one else's opinion and most are like Liam and myself in that we don't want it. Almost all of your posts begin with someoes name, it's Liam this or Huyty that and then you go on to try to discredit what they have written. You are totaly deluded about what you do and you just get on everyones nerves. Write what you want about me, I don't care but it won't change the fact that what I've written here is 100% true. You ruin this site.”
by LiamOSullivan
Monday, September 10 2012, 11:55PM
“EVA ...for anything I might say on the world's boring subject: you, study boothernender's recent comment to yo. Study it long and hard,and even then it might not sink in,so read it again!”
by SCFC4EVA
Monday, September 10 2012, 11:25PM
“BLOODY HELL AND HELLS BELLS, for the 3rd time in less than a week boothernender has said something so amazing he has absolutely no idea he has said it and this one just tops them all and i quote "Liam has passed his opinion EVA. Why don't you shut up and let him do it, I'm sure he does not want your response to it as it's clear he has nothing but contempt for you"
this clown has the unmitigated gall to say that to me when all i do is pass my opinion on here and get constant abuse from you and your comrades for doing so. !!
simply amazing, this man really has no clue !”
by boothernender
Monday, September 10 2012, 9:39PM
“Liam has passed his opinion EVA. Why don't you shut up and let him do it, I'm sure he does not want your response to it as it's clear he has nothing but contempt for you. Almost every post you write is an attempt to discredit someone elses opinion and you bleat like a wounded sheep when anyone does the same to you.”
by SCFC4EVA
Monday, September 10 2012, 2:54PM
“sullivan, every single manager dotes over every other single manager before every single game ! that proves nothing ! what do you want them to say, Pulis stinks I hate him, Stoke Stink, we will beat the easily.”
by LiamOSullivan
Monday, September 10 2012, 9:58AM
“You only have to read the comments from Roberto Martinez, the Wigan manager, before our last PL game to see the high regard in which Pulis held by his fellow managers. And it came from a manager who is supposedly the antidote to the way Pulis manages.”
by jpj_58
Monday, September 10 2012, 9:51AM
“What a strange posting :
"just sane fans who trust more in an educated, decorated, fitness freak manager than an internet jelly belly like you who can barely manage his weight"
Pulis educated ?
Pulis decorated ?
Which asylum did you escape from DJ ?
you may be right about Pro-Pulis Brigade
he doesnt have enough followers to warrant a Brigade”