Owen was available as a free agent after having been released by Manchester United at the end of last season.

The former Real Madrid star was linked with a return to Liverpool, but ended up signing a one-year contract with Stoke.

"Liverpool didn’t consider Michael Owen," Rodgers said. "If we didn’t get the targets that we hoped to get in the transfer window, I was going to go with what I had.

"There’s no point putting money into the academy and then not giving young players a chance. Look at the impact Raheem Sterling has made as a 17-year-old. All I’ve given him is an opportunity and he’s gone on and taken it.

"We’ve got a number of other young talents and hopefully over the coming months we can see them and see how they flourish."