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At the ripe old age of 29, it seems odd that a player should still have to prove himself, especially one who has starred for club and country over the years.

But that is exactly the situation Michael Owen finds himself in after an injury-plagued and ultimately disappointing spell with Newcastle.

He may well have played for two of the world's biggest clubs, scored 40 goals for his country and won the Ballon d'Or, but with his 30th birthday fast approaching he must feel like he is having to start all over again.

Regularly we hear that Owen is a proven goalscorer. He may well be, but it means nothing if he has shown few signs to justify that label of late.

In football, you're only as good as your last game. And Owen regularly failed to prove he can still lay claim to be a top-class striker over the course of the past season.

Of course, a lot of his appearances came off the bench, and there is only so much a player can do in the space of 20 minutes.

He did manage to score a few - eight of them in the league - but much, much more was expected from him.

It was his work ethic that most damaged his reputation - when Newcastle needed him most he more often than not failed to stand up and be counted. For that reason, he now has it all to do once again.

It's all about how much Owen wants it; he has to prove his desire to succeed is still there. The likes of David Moyes, Martin O'Neill, Tony Pulis and Phil Brown expect their players to die for the cause and will not stand for someone who is not willing to give them 110 per cent.

Owen will also have to prove his fitness before he can be taken seriously again. That's why it comes as no surprise to see a pay-as-you-play deal mooted.

Indeed, with one of those arrangements in place, and considering he will move for free, the risk of hiring Owen appears to be quite low.

And if he proves his doubters wrong by rediscovering some of the kind of form that once made him one of the most feared young strikers in the world, he could yet prove a valuable asset.

Out of the four Premier League clubs linked to him - Aston Villa, Everton, Stoke City and Hull City - I think Owen's best chance of turning things around for himself lies at Stoke.

With his pace gone, it's unlikely we'll again see the likes of his goal against Argentina at the World Cup in 1998. Owen's main threat now comes from his finishing instinct in the box.

And considering the Potters are so adept at getting the ball into that area, rather than relying on getting in behind the opposition back line, Owen could well get his career back on track at the most unlikely of places.

Paul Parker / Eurosport