Michael Owen announced his retirement from the sport at the end of the English Premier League season.

The Stoke City striker has seen the latter years of his glorious career plagued by injuries, which, unfortunately, has turned him from one of the most feared forwards in the world to a constant sicknote.

Owen will always be remembered for his time at Liverpool, where as a teenager he came through the ranks to set the Premier League alight.

The 33-year-old earned 89 appearances for England, and his goal in the 1998 World Cup against Argentina will go down as one of the best ever. Owen scored an impressive 40 goals for his country and is only behind Bobby Charlton, Gary Lineker and Jimmy Greaves on the all-time list.

"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," he said in a statement.

"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."

Owen moved to Real Madrid from Liverpool, where he could not make as much of an impact as one would have expected before then turning out for Newcastle.

The former England man also had a highly underwhelming spell with Manchester United, where he was constantly left frustrated by injuries, before signing for Stoke at the beginning of the season.

Owen finally thanked his family and particularly his father Terry, who played for Everton and Chester during his playing days.

"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," he added. I couldn't have done it without you."