Michael Owen Excited at Prospect of Playing at Britannia Stadium

Friday, 7th September, 2012

New Stoke City signing Michael Owen has revealed his is looking forward to the raucous atmosphere he expects to experience at the Britannia Stadium.

Following his release from Manchester United at the end of last season, the former England striker was the subject of a veritable transfer saga over his potential destination.

Owen ruled out thoughts of retiring, though insisting he was not ready to drop down to the Championship and felt he could still do a job in the Premier League.

And so, after the transfer window closed, which did not affect Owen as a free agent, he opted to join Tony Pulis’ Potters.

Now, having played at Stoke’s Britannia Stadium before, he is looking forward to experiencing the noise and atmosphere on a regular basis.

"If you speak to any football fans or players around the country, when you talk about the best atmospheres you’d have to say the Britannia Stadium is up there", Owen told Stoke’s official site.

"Obviously, 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.

"That’s certainly part of the challenge for me here and something I’m looking forward to."

It remains to be seen how Owen will perform at Stoke but, at just 32 years old, the ex-Newcastle United man has been consistent in his belief that he has much left in the tank.