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Michael Owen at the age of 18, destroying Argentina's defense
Personal Information
| Full Name | Michael James Owen |
| Date of Birth | December 14, 1979 |
| Nationality | English |
| Birth Place | Chester, England |
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) |
| Current Team(s) | |
| Position | Forward |
| Debut | May 6, 1997 |
| Networth | $50 million |
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Michael Owen: A Brief Biography
Michael Owen is an English former professional footballer who played as a forward for the England national team. He is best remembered for his time at Liverpool FC where he won the Ballon d’Or in 2001. Owen was named by the legendary Pele in the FIFA 100 list of the world’s greatest living players.
Early Life
Michael Owen was born on December 14, 1979, in Chester, England. At the age of ten, he was scouted by Liverpool Football Club and joined their youth academy. He progressed through the ranks and made his first-team debut for Liverpool in May 1997, at the age of 17.
Club Career
Owen started his professional career with Liverpool FC. He scored on his senior debut for Liverpool in 1997 against Wimbledon at Selhurst Park. He had to be the frontman for his club after the iconic Robbie Fowler was injured in the following season. He repaid the faith shown in him by scoring 18 times in the league. As a result, he won the Premier League Golden Boot and the PFA Young Player of the Year.
Owen retained the Premier League Golden Boot in the 1998-99 season as well scoring a further 18 goals in spite of being injured for the last couple of months of the season. He helped Liverpool win the Cup Treble in the 2000-01 season. He won the European Player of the Year award as a result of his performances. In the FA Cup final against Arsenal, Owen scored both the goals for his club.
In the next couple of years after the Cup Treble, Liverpool tried to push ambitiously towards winning the Premier League with Michael Owen at the forefront of that effort. They strongly challenged for the title in the 2001-02 but finished second. Owen scored nineteen times in the league. He played for the senior team from 1996 to 2004, scoring 158 goals in 297 appearances.
In 2004, Owen moved to Spanish giants Real Madrid for a fee of around £8 million. He played for the club for just one season, scoring 16 goals in 45 appearances and helping them win the La Liga title. However, he struggled to adapt to the style of play in Spain and was often used as a substitute.
Owen then returned to the Premier League, signing for Newcastle United for a club-record fee of £16.8 million. He played for the club from 2005 to 2009, scoring 30 goals in 79 appearances. However, his time at Newcastle was marred by injuries, and he struggled to stay fit.
In 2009, Owen signed for Manchester United on a free transfer. He played for the club for three seasons, making 52 appearances and scoring 17 goals. During his time at Manchester United, he won the Premier League, FA Community Shield, and the Football League Cup.
Owen's last club was Stoke City, where he played for one season before retiring from professional football in 2013. Overall, he scored 222 goals in 473 club appearances in his career.
International Career
Owen made his debut for the England senior team in February 1998 against Chile. England lost the match 0-2. It made Owen the youngest player to represent England in the century. He scored a memorable solo goal against Argentina in the round of 16 of the 1998 FIFA World Cup. He became England's youngest-ever World Cup scorer at the age of 18 years and 59 days.
He also played in the 2002 World Cup, where he scored twice in England's 3-0 win over Denmark in the round of 16. However, he missed the quarter-final due to injury, and England were knocked out on penalties by Brazil.
Owen was also part of the England team that reached the quarter-finals of the 2004 European Championships and the 2006 World Cup. He scored 40 goals in 89 appearances, making him England's fourth-highest scorer of all time.
Records
Owen is the youngest player to have scored for the England national team, scoring on his debut at the age of 18 years and 59 days.
Owen is the only English player to have scored in four major tournaments: the World Cup, European Championships, Confederations Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup.
He is the only player to have scored in four different Merseyside derbies (between Liverpool and Everton) at Goodison Park.
Owen is one of only six players to have scored 150 or more goals in the Premier League, with a total of 150 goals.
Owen was awarded the Ballon d'Or in 2001, becoming the first English player to win the award since Kevin Keegan in 1979.
Awards and Achievements
| Liverpool | FA Cup: 2000–01 |
| Football League Cup: 2000–01, 2002–03 | |
| FA Charity Shield: 2001 | |
| UEFA Cup: 2000–01 | |
| UEFA Super Cup: 2001 | |
| Newcastle United | UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2006 |
| Manchester United | Premier League: 2010–11 |
| Football League Cup: 2009–10 | |
| FA Community Shield: 2010 | |
| Individual | Ballon d'Or: 2001 |
| World Soccer World Player of the Year: 2001 | |
| ESM Team of the Year: 2000–01 | |
| Onze d'Argent: 2001 | |
| BBC Sports Personality of the Year: 1998 | |
| Premier League Golden Boot: 1997–98, 1998–99 | |
| Premier League Player of the Season: 1997–98 | |
| PFA Young Player of the Year: 1997–98 | |
| PFA Team of the Year: 1997–98 Premier League | |
| Premier League Player of the Month: August 1998 | |
| FIFA World Cup Best Young Player Award: France 1998 | |
| FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1998 (Reserve) | |
| English Football Hall of Fame: 2014 | |
| FIFA 100 |
Personal Life
Outside of football, Owen has a keen interest in horse racing and owns a stud farm in Cheshire, England. He has also written several books on horse racing and has been a pundit for horse racing events. In addition to his work in horse racing, Owen is also involved in various charitable causes. He has supported several organizations over the years, including the NSPCC, UNICEF, and the Michael Owen Foundation, which helps disadvantaged children around the world.
Owen has also worked as a football commentator and pundit for various TV networks, including BT Sport, BBC, and ESPN. He is known for his insightful analysis and in-depth knowledge of the game.
Net Worth
As of 2023, his net worth is estimated to be around $68 million.
Family
Owen comes from a football family. His father, Terry Owen, was also a professional footballer who played for several clubs, including Everton, Chester City, and Wrexham. Terry Owen later became a football agent and represented Michael during his playing career.
His younger brother, Andrew Owen, also played professional football, although he did not achieve the same level of success as Michael. Andrew played for several lower-league clubs in England, including Crewe Alexandra and Chester City.
Wife
Owen is married to Louise Bonsall, and the couple has four children together. His daughter, Gemma Rose, was born in 2003, followed by sons James Michael, Emily May, and Jessica in 2006, 2007, and 2010, respectively.
Houses
He owns Lower Soughton Hall - a Grade II-listed Georgian mansion in North Wales, which he bought in 2001. The property has 11 bedrooms, a swimming pool, tennis courts, and stables.
He also has a £1.6 million apartment in Dubai which he bought in 2007 as an investment property. The apartment is located in the luxurious Palm Jumeirah development and has views of the Arabian Gulf.
He most recently purchased a £4 million mansion in Northop, North Wales in 2019. The property has eight bedrooms, a swimming pool, and a cinema room.
FAQs
He won the Ballon d'Or in 2001 as a Liverpool player.
He scored 17 goals in 52 appearances in all competitions from 2009-10 to 2011-12.
Real Madrid signed him for a fee of £8 million on 13 August 2004 from Liverpool.
Owen was the subject of criticism from the Bernabeu fans and Spanish press due to his lack of form, and he spent much time as a substitute. He left Spain after just a year, having scored 13 goals in 36 games, before returning to England with Newcastle United for £15million.
He won 10 trophies in his career.
