Michael Owen is an English former professional soccer player who was renowned for his prolific goal-scoring and played for England at the international level and has represented major European teams like Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle United, and Manchester United at the club level. As he helped Liverpool win the treble of the UEFA Cup, the FA Cup, and the Football League Cup in 2001, he was honored with the prestigious Ballon d’Or, and in 2004, he was named in the “FIFA 100”, a list of the world’s greatest living soccer players. After retirement from the sport in 2013, Michael has often been featured as a commentator and pundit. He has also become keenly interested in horse racing and the racehorse named Brown Panther, bred by him and his team, won a major race at the Royal Ascot in 2011.
Born Name
Michael James Owen
Nick Name
Mo, Midget Gem
Sun Sign
Sagittarius
Born Place
Chester, Cheshire, England, United Kingdom
Residence
Lower Soughton Manor, Flintshire, North Wales, Wales, United Kingdom
Nationality
Education
Michael attended the Rector Drew Primary School in Flintshire, North Wales. He then joined Deeside Area Primary School and Hawarden High School, both in North Wales, and played soccer for both school teams.
Occupation
Professional Soccer Player (Retired)
Family
Father – Leslie Terence “Terry” Owen (Former Professional Soccer Player)
Mother – Jeanette Owen
Siblings – Terry Junior (Brother), Terry Owen, Jr. (Brother), Andrew Owen (Brother), Lesley Partridge (Sister), Karen Owen (Sister)
Others – Richie Partridge (Brother-in-Law) (Former Professional Soccer Player)
Manager
During his playing days, he was represented by Wasserman Media Group, Los Angeles, California, United States.
Shirt Number
10, 18, 20 – England
10, 18 – Liverpool
11 – Real Madrid
10 – Newcastle United
7 – Manchester United
10 – Stoke City
Playing Position
Striker
Build
Average
Height
5 ft 8 in or 173 cm
Weight
85 kg or 187.5 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
Michael has dated –
Louise Bonsall (1984–Present) – Michael and Louise had known each other since 1984 when they were in primary school together. They got engaged on February 14, 2004, and married on June 24, 2005, at the Carden Park Hotel in Chester. They have 4 children together – 3 daughters named Gemma Rose Owen (b. May 1, 2003), Emily May Owen (b. October 29, 2007), and Jessica Owen (b. February 26, 2010), and a son named James Michael Owen (b. February 6, 2006).
He was introduced to soccer at the age of 7 by his father and by the time he turned 10, he was already being monitored by some of England’s major scouts.
At the age of 8, he was selected for Deeside Area Primary School’s Under-11 team. He captained the team the following year and at the age of 10, he scored a school-record 97 goals in a single season, beating the 20-year record held by Ian Rush, by 25 goals.
Michael was the joint top-scorer (18 goals) in his first full season in the English Premier League. When he reached the milestone of 100 goals in the Premier League, he was the youngest to do so.
From 1997 until his departure in 2004, he was the top scorer for Liverpool in each season of the English Premier League.
Upon selection for the English national team, he became England’s youngest ever player and his first goal for the team made him England’s youngest goalscorer at that time.
His 16th-minute goal in the 2nd round game against Argentina at the 1998 FIFA World Cup was voted as the 3rd greatest goal in English history in a 2013 poll.
He was the first English player to score at least 1 goal in 4 consecutive major international tournaments. He achieved the feat by scoring at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2000, 2002 FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Euro 2004.
In a September 2007 win over Russia, he scored a brace of goals and became the first player to score international goals at both the old and new Wembley Stadiums.
He was inducted in the ‘English Football Hall of Fame’ in 2014.