Michael Owen is an English former professional football player. Owen started his football career as a striker at Liverpool in 1996. He won several club honors but never won a Premier League there. He later played for Real Madrid, Newcastle United, and Manchester United before retiring at Stoke City. He won his first Premier League title at Manchester United in 2011. On the international level, he made his senior debut in 1998. He retired with 222 club goals in 482 club appearances in all competitions. He earned 89 caps and scored 40 goals for England national team.
Owen has won several individual honors including the prestigious Ballon d’Or in 2001. He was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2014. After retirement, he became a horse breeder and features as a sports pundit and commentator.
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What is Michael Owen Famous For?
- Won FA Cup, Football League Cup, UEFA Cup, and UEFA Super Cup with Liverpool.
- Won Premier League, Football League Cup, and FA Community Shield with Manchester United.
- Won Ballon d’Or in 2001.
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Where is Michael Owen From?
Michael Owen was born on 14 December 1979. His birth name is Michael James Owen. His birth place is in Chester in England. He holds English nationality. He was born to his father, Terry Owen, and his mother, Jeanette Owen. He has three siblings, Terry Jr., Karen, and Andrew. He belongs to the white ethnicity and his religion is Christianity.
He attended Rector Drew Primary School, Deeside Area Primary School, and later attended Hawarden High School.
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Michael Owen Career
- Following the footsteps of his footballer father, Owen started playing football at an early age of seven. He played school football for Deeside Area Primary School’s U11 team at age 8. At age 9 he was captain and scored 97 goals in a single season and broke Ian Rush’s 20-year old record. He also broke Gary Speed’s appearance record appearing in all three seasons for the 11-year-olds. By age ten, he was being monitored by several leading scouts in the nation.
- He then joined the youth team of Mold Alexandra and played for the team’s U10. He scored 34 goals in 24 games in his first season with the club.
- At age 12, he signed a schoolboy contract with Liverpool. Chelsea and Arsenal also had shown interest in him. Progressing through the youth ranks of Liverpool. He played a key role for the Liverpool youth team that won the FA Youth Cup for the first time in the club’s history.
- He signed his first professional contract with Liverpool at the age of 17. He made his first team debut against Wimbledon in May 1997 and scored his first senior goal in the same match. He only made 2 league appearances in the 1996-97 season.
- The following season earned him a breakthrough in the first team when he won the joint Premier League Golden Boot scoring 18 league goals. He was also named Premier League Player of the Season and PFA Young Player of the Year in the 1997-98 season. He finished runner-up to Zinedine Zidane in the World Player of the Year award.
- He signed a five-year contract with the club for £2.5 million becoming the highest-paid teenager in British football history. Owen won the Premier League, Golden Boot, once again in the 1998-99 season after scoring 18 league goals.
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- Owen spent five more seasons at the club helping the club win a domestic treble in 2001. He won one FA Cup, two Football League Cups, one FA Charity Shield, one UEFA Cup, and one UEFA Super Cup in his Liverpool career. He scored 158 goals in 297 appearances in all competitions in eight seasons with Liverpool. He was Liverpool’s top goalscorer from 1998 until his departure in 2004.
- Real Madrid started pursuing Owen in 2002. They finally acquired Owen in 2004 after Owen opted not to renew his contract at Liverpool. He signed with Liverpool for £8 million in August 2004. He was given jersey number 11. He joined the club during its Galacticos era joining Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Raul, Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, and David Beckham.
- However, Owen was frequently used as a substitute striker at Real Madrid. With less playing time, he scored only 13 league goals in his first and only season at the club. He ended the season with 16 goals in 45 appearances.
- Not having a successful season at the club, Owen returned to Premier League signing with Newcastle United for £16.8 million in 2005. Liverpool tried to re-sign him but failed to match Madrid’s asking price.
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- A series of injuries affected Owen’s first season at the club. He made only 11 appearances for the club and scored 7 goals in total. Owen remained out of football for a year after he sustained an ACL injury in his right knee in the first minute of the group match against Sweden at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Newcastle went against FIFA and FA for the cost of injuries to players incurred while on international duty. The club finally settled with FIFA and FA for compensation between £6 million and £7 million. Resulting of the Owen compensation claim, the FA doubled their future insurance coverage of England players to £100,000, and FIFA introduced a compensation fund for injuries sustained at World Cups.
- A series of injuries badly affected Owen’s performance while at Newcastle. The club still tried to renew his contract but Owen opted to leave the club. He left Newcastle with 30 goals in 79 games in all competitions.
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- He signed a two-year deal with Manchester United in July 2009 as a free agent. He spent three seasons at the club and won his first Premier League title during the 2010-11 season. He also won Football League Cup and FA Community Shield in 2010.
- After Manchester United decided not to renew Owen’s contract at the end of the 2011-12 season, he signed a one-year contract with Stoke City in September 2012. A hamstring injury again hampered his spell at the club. He made only 8 substitute appearances in Premier League and scored one goal for the club.
- He announced to retire from football at the end of the 2012-13 season. In his final match against Southampton, he received a standing ovation from both sides supporters.
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Michael Owen International Career
- Michael Owen was a prolific striker from a young age. He played for England youth teams at various age levels. He played for England U15, U16, U18, U20, and U21 teams and scored over 40 age group goals.
- He made his senior international debut in 1998 and played in the 1998 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2000, 2002 FIFA World Cup, Euro 2004, and 2006 FIFA World Cup. He retired from international football earning 89 caps and scoring 40 goals for England.
- After retirement from professional football, he became a racehorse breeder and owner. He owns many racehorses. He bred the horse Brown Panther which won a major race at Royal Ascot in 2011 and the 2015 Dubai Gold Cup. He is also regularly featured as a sports pundit and commentator.
Who is Michael Owen Wife?
Michael Owen is a married man. He is married to Louise Bonsall. The couple met at primary school in 1984. The couple got engaged on Valentine’s Day in 2004. They finally tied a knot to each other on 24 June 2005. They share 4 children together, Gemma Rose, James Michael, Emily May, and Jessica.
He owned multiple houses in Ewloe. He bought Lower Soughton Manor in Flintshire, North Wales where he keeps his cars and horses.
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What is Michael Owen Height?
Michael Owen stands at the height of 1.73 m. He has a body weight of 70 kg. He has an athletic body build. His eye color is brown and his hair color is dark brown.
His sexual orientation is straight.
What is Michael Owen Net Worth?
Michael Owen is one of the greatest footballers in European football history. He was the highest-paid footballer during his prime. He earned millions in salary. A prolific footballer, he also earned from sponsorships and endorsements. He owns several cars and a helicopter. He was a brand ambassador for British bookmaker Colossus Bets. He was the face of breakfast cereal “Nestle Sporties” in 2001. He had a £1 million endorsement contract with washing powder, Persil. Since 1998, he has been an ambassador of the Swiss watchmaker Tissot. He has a contract with car manufacturer Jaguar. He became the global brand ambassador of cryptocasino Punt in 2022.
At present, his net worth is estimated at $68 million.
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