The 2012/13 campaign was Stoke City's fifth in the Premier League, and after maintaining their top flight status over the course of those first few years, there were hopes that the club were going to start progressing up the table.
Tony Pulis was a hero to all Potters supporters after guiding the team to promotion to the promised land in 2008, but there was a need to see the Staffordshire outfit fight for a European place and improve their reputation in the division.
However, the departure of fan favourite Ricardo Fuller saw the season get off to a rocky start and four draws in their first four matches of the campaign did not offer great hope that they were going to make the strides needed towards the top half.
Stoke needed a game changer, and after the summer transfer window shut, Pulis made the decision to look at the free agent market and brought in a former Ballon d'Or and Premier League winner. However, his arrival came far too late in his career for him to create any real impact.
Michael Owen's deal at Stoke did not come as a surprise, but he failed to impress
The Potters signed Michael Owen in September 2012 after months of negotiations between the two parties, eventually gaining approval from the league to bring him in.
He had spent the last three seasons with Manchester United, winning the division in his second year, but at 32, he was far past his prime.
Owen had expressed his delight over signing for Stoke on X, posting: "It's official! Deal done. I'm a Stoke player. Can't wait to get going."
However, after playing just one league game for the Red Devils in the 2011/12 campaign, there were concerns that he was not going to be able to have the impact that was needed off the bench to help improve the club's league position.
Michael Owen, Manchester United
He came on as a substitute in the final minute of the match against Manchester City to make his debut in a 1-1 draw just 10 days after signing the contract with his new club, before playing three more times in the next five matches as Stoke continued to sit in mid-table.
The Potters knew that Owen was not going to be a constant fixture in their team, but a mix of injury issues saw his game time severely limited throughout the autumn and winter, only returning against Swansea City in January.
Michael Owen's time at Stoke City ended without much fanfare
The ex-Liverpool star found the back of the net for the first and only time as a Stoke player against the Swans, scoring what proved to be his final goal as a professional footballer in a 3-1 defeat.
As he was playing on a pay-to-play deal, it did mean that the club were not paying out too much for his services, but his lack of availability meant that the time it took to secure his signature in the summer was becoming more and more wasted.
Owen played just three more times after scoring, ending the season with eight Premier League appearances, one goal, no assists and not a single start.
Michael Owen
It was clear that his body was not able to keep up with the demands of playing week-in-week-out and the 89-time capped England striker announced his decision to retire at the end of the 2012/13 season in March.
Michael Owen Stoke City stats by competition (TransferMarkt)
Competition
Premier League
FA Cup
The move had been a failure for all parties as Stoke finished 13th, once again mid-table, as Pulis left his post by mutual consent and supporters must still question if the decision to bring Owen in was one that needed to be made.
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