Tony Pulis stands by Michael Owen signing

Tony Pulis has insisted that he made the correct decision in signing Michael Owen on a free transfer last September.

Hamstring injuries have restricted the 33-year-old to just seven appearances in all competitions this season.

Furthermore, the former England international confirmed that he will retire from professional football at the end of the season.

However, despite the negative statistics, Pulis believes that Owen was "worth the gamble".

"It was a gamble, but I think he was worth the gamble. On the question of his pay, his basic pay is low, in fact lower than most of the younger players in the group here," said Pulis.

"The fact he picked up injuries early on have affected his chances with us. But with eight games to go, I'm hoping he can be involved, as an impact player from the bench, and scoring goals."

Owen has scored one goal for the Potters.