Owen starts Stoke career against City

Striker hoping to revive career and regain spot on England team

Michael Owen used to terrify international defenders and made scoring look easy, but the extent to which his career has gone off the boil will be brought into focus on Saturday when he lines up for modest Stoke City.

Just days after his former England colleagues struggled in a 1-1 draw against Ukraine, Owen (pictured), who scored 40 international goals while representing some of Europe's most illustrious clubs, could make his Stoke debut against Manchester City.