Premier League: Michael Owen set to retire at the end of the season

Premier League: Michael Owen set to retire at the end of the season
Former England striker Michael Owen has announced he will retire from football at the end of the current season. The 33-year-old striker began his career at Liverpool before moving to Real Madrid, Newcastle United, Manchester United and finally current club Stoke City. A statement on his personal website, michaelowen.com, read: "It is with an immense amount of pride that I am announcing my intention to retire from Professional Football at the end of this season. Having progressed through the ranks at Liverpool to make my first team debut at 17, before embarking upon spells at Real Madrid, Newcastle United, Manchester United and Stoke City, not to mention representing my country on 89 occasions, I now feel it is the right time to bring the curtain down on my career. I have been very fortunate in that my career has taken me on a journey that like many young players starting out, I could only have dreamt of. None of this would have been possible without the tremendous support I have received from managers, coaches, fellow players, back room staff, the supporters and my own personal sponsors. I would like to thank each and every one for the huge role they have played in helping me reach the top of my profession." "Most of all though, I would like to thank my family. To my beautiful wife Louise, for her continued love and support through the many ups and downs in my career and for affording me the most precious gift of all, our children," Owen added. "To my Mum who has always taken the brunt of my frustrations yet continues to keep our family so tight-knit, a trait that has formed the foundations of my own success. Her dedication to me and my brothers and sisters is immeasurable. I'd like to thank Terry, Andy, Karen and Lesley for being so understanding and creating the perfect environment to grow up in. Last but not least, my Dad. We did it my old mate! From those freezing local parks to terrorising the best defenders in the World on the biggest stages of all. I couldn't have done it without you". Owen, whose father Terry played for rivals Everton, joined Liverpool at the age of 12 and broke club and international scoring records throughout his youth career. He broke into the first team at Anfield at the age of 17 and even scored on his debut against Wimbledon in May 1997. In the next season he won the Premier League Golden Boot after bagging 18 goals. He featured in England's 1998 World Cup campaign before being awarded the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 2001 after pushing Liverpool to a treble: UEFA Cup, FA Cup and League Cup. After scoring 158 goals in 297 games for Liverpool, Owen joined Spanish giants Real Madrid in an £8m move but he failed to secure a first team place at the Bernabeu despite continuing to score whenever he was selected. He moved back to the Premier League at Newcastle for around £15m but injuries marked his four years at St James' Park and he managed just 79 appearances, scoring 30 goals however. Then he joined Manchester United on a free transfer and scored a memorable goal in 2009, the winner in a thrilling 4-3 win over arch rivals City. Owen spent three years at United, scoring 17 goals in 52 appearances before moving to Stoke City where he has scored just one goal in seven appearances. Stoke City are currently 11th in the Premier League table and they face Everton in the next match on March 30. Here are the odds at Bet365 for that game: Everton win - 1/2 Draw - 3/1 Stoke win - 6/1
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