John Carew will not be returning to Aston Villa and has set his heart on securing a permanent move to Stoke.
Striker hoping to win permanent deal with Potters
John Carew will not be returning to Aston Villa and has set his heart on securing a permanent move to Stoke.
The Norwegian frontman linked up with the Potters in January after slipping down the pecking order at Villa.
That agreement is set to run until the end of the season, at which point he will be expected to head back to Villa Park.
Carew has no intention of returning, though, as he considers his time with Villa to be over.
"Aston Villa was a fantastic period of my life," said the 31-year-old.
"I have a fantastic relationship with the fans and there will always be a place in my heart for them. I love the club immensely but my time there is finished.
"I will go and watch Aston Villa as a fan, as a supporter, but not as a player anymore."
Togetherness
While keen to quit Villa, Carew is looking to remain in the Premier League, preferably with FA Cup finalists Stoke.
"I want to stay in England," he added.
"I love Stoke, the fans are fantastic, the changing room is amazing with world-class banter.
"There's a really strong team spirit, that's like a symbol of Stoke, the togetherness, atmosphere, everybody working for each other. That's why we achieve the success.
"We just have to see after the season. We've been to the cup final now, there are a couple of games left, it is not the time to talk contracts."
