Stoke City boss Tony Pulis says he's signed Michael Owen in order to play him.

He revealed that Owen cannot wait to get his career back on track after being dumped by Manchester United in May.

Pulis said: "Michael's got the bit between his teeth and wants to play.

"He's more than just an impact sub. We want Michael to get himself fit, in the team and playing regularly again. We'll assess his fitness levels over the next three days and take it from there. It's important we see what level he's at before we push him.

"We're delighted with the deal we've got and feel it's well worth taking a chance with a player like Michael for all sorts of reasons. We believe, once he's match-fit, that he'll prove he can still score goals in the Premier League.

"People say he played only one Premier League game last season but he was available for a lot more United games but wasn't selected."