Stephen Baxter has hailed former Crusaders star Jordan Owens as “the best centre-forward in Northern Ireland bar none for 20 years” after the Irish League legend confirmed his retirement.

Owens spent virtually the entirety of his playing career working under Baxter after the former Crues chief handed a talented teenager his debut during the 2007/08 season.

The future Northern Ireland international went on to make 730 appearances across all competitions for the North Belfast club, scoring 255 goals in the process.

Owens played a key role during a golden period of Crues success under Baxter, winning four Irish Cup crowns, three Premiership titles, three Co Antrim Shields, a League Cup and their famous Setanta Cup triumph in 2012.

placeholder image — Jordan Owens celebrates after winning the Irish Cup with Crusaders. (Photo by Stephen Hamilton/Inpho)

He moved onto Declan Caddell’s coaching staff in May and also signed a new contract extension to remain available as a player, but Owens has now called time on his glittering career.

Owens is undoubtedly one of the best Irish League players of his generation and Baxter paid high praise to his former talisman.

"There's a special bond there that will last a lifetime,” said Baxter on BBC Sportsound. “I picked him up as a 15-year-old, I was advised about him by one of our youth coaches.

"I went to watch him playing for our U16s and brought him up to the first team to play at Coleraine away, he played on the right wing if I'm not mistaken. It started a career which spanned that whole period of time.

"The loyalty, dedication, quality of the person, not just the player. He's just an amazing guy.

"The goals, my word, he was a colossus of a footballer. When we needed a goal, we worked the ball out to the wide areas and put a ball into the box, Jordan Owens was always putting his head on it.

"He dragged our team kicking and screaming into finals, league titles and brought us back from the dead more times than I can remember.

"An amazing footballer - he didn't get the recognition he deserved because he was a way, way better footballer than what people gave him credit for.

"He was good with his right foot, buried shots, had that quality to get in front of people, you couldn't knock him off the ball...the amount of centre-halves that said to me through the years 'you just can't mark him' and that's the level.

"When your peers are saying that about you, it tells you how good of a player you are. Jordan Owens was the best centre-forward in Northern Ireland bar none for 20 years."