Exclusive - Michael Owen will go down as one of England's greatest, says former Liverpool team-mate Didi Hamann

Dietmar Hamann says Michael Owen deserves be remembered as one of the greatest players England has ever produced.

The former Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle and Manchester United striker will hang up his boots at the end of the season, once his contract at Stoke expires.

Owen scored 40 goals for England in 89 appearances after bursting onto the scene as a teenager at the Reds but has been blighted by injuries in recent years.

Hamann, a team-mate of Owen’s at Anfield, told talkSPORT: “It’s been an outstanding career, if you look at his record at Liverpool, the games he played, the goals he scored, and you look at his record for England.

“Unfortunately later on when he went to Real Madrid and Newcastle he had the odd injury and things didn't work out as he would have liked. But if you look back at the whole of his career, which started at an early age, he goes down as one of the outstanding English players of the past.

“When he went to Newcastle and Man United, through injury he didn't play that many games, but you look at the games he did play and the goals he scored. He would guarantee you goals.

"His finishing was his biggest asset, along with his pace, and if you gave him half a chance he would take it.”