Michael Owen Wiki, Age, Height, Weight, Wife, Family, Daughter, Stats, Net Worth, Biography & More

Michael Owen is an English famous football player who played for Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle United, Manchester United, and Stoke City, as well as for the England national team as a striker. Since retiring from football in 2013, he has become a racehorse breeder and owner and regularly features as a sports pundit and commentator. Check all the details below about Michael Owen’s Wiki, Age, Height, Weight, Wife, Family, Daughter, Stats, Net Worth, Biography & More.

Michael Owen Wiki/Biography

Michael Owen was born on 14th December 1979 (Age: 43 years; as of 2022) in Chester, England. His full real name is Michael James Owen. His nationality is British and his ethnicity is White. His zodiac sign is Sagittarius and he follows Christianity (religion). His profession is a famous football player in England.

Michael Owen Educational Qualification

Michael Owen completed his schooling at Rector Drew primary school and then he moved to Deeside Area Primary school. Then, Michael Owen attended Hawarden high school for his high schooling. Then, he joined a club in 1997 and his first club is Liverpool.

Michael Owen Physical Stats

• Height: 5′ 8″ inches
• Weight: 70kg
• Hair Color: Dark Brown
• Eye Color: Brown

Michael Owen Family & Parents

Michael Owen was born into a middle-class family to English Parents. His father’s name is Terry Owen he is a former professional footballer who played for clubs such as Chester City and Everton.

And his mother’s name is Jeanette Owen. He has 3 siblings one sister and 2 brothers. His sister’s name is Karen and his brother’s name is Terry Owen jr. and Andrew Owen.

Michael Owen’s Wife & Children

Michael Owen’s dating status is single and his marital status is married. He married Louise Bonsall. Michael Owen met Louise Bonsall at primary school in 1984. They bought Lower Soughton Manor in Flintshire, North Wales, where they keep his cars and her horses. On 14th February 2004, they were engaged and married on 24th June 2005 at the Carden Park Hotel in Chester, Cheshire.

They initially planned to get married at their home but changed plans when they were informed that if a license was granted for a marriage ceremony the venue must be made available for other weddings for three years, so opted to marry in a registered office in informal clothing and have a lavish reception the next day in the grounds of their home.

Let’s talk about his kids, so the couple has 4 children. Their daughter, Gemma Rose was born on 1st May 2003. Then, they had a son named James Michael on 6th February 2006. Their third child, a daughter, Emily May, was born on 29th October 2007. The couple announced their fourth child Jessica was born on 26th February 2010.

Michael Owen Career & Profession

Youth Career

Owen was introduced to football at the age of seven by his father who soon saw Michael Owen as the most promising athlete in the family. He attended Rector Drew Primary School in Hawarden, Flintshire, Wales, and by the age of ten, some of the nation’s leading scouts were monitoring his progress.

He was selected for the Deeside Area Primary School’s U-11 team at the age of 8. At the age of nine, he was captain and at the age of 10, he had smashed lan Rush’s 20-year record for the same team by scoring 97 goals in a single season, improving on Rush’s record by 25 goals. Owen turned out for the youth team of Mold Alexandra, After leaving Deeside, Owen attended Hawarden High School, where he also played for the school team. Paying with the under-10s at the age of eight after a local physical education teacher, Howard Roberts, persuaded the league to allow an under-age player.

Club Career

Liverpool

When Owen started attending secondary school, he became eligible to sign a schoolboy contract with a club at the age of 12. Brian Kidd came down from Manchester United and there was also interest from Chelsea and Arsenal. He subsequently, signed with the Liverpool youth team. The club then Persuaded him to attend the FA’s School of Excellence at Lilleshall in Shropshire at the age of 14. He also scored prolifically as he rose rapidly through the Anfield youth ranks. Michael Owen was adamant his future was a professional football career with Liverpool.

He played for Liverpool’s youth team even though he was still at Lilleshall most of the players were 18, but Owen was only 16 years old. Liverpool faced West Ham United in the final, played over two legs as well. Michael Owen missed the first leg at Upton Park as he was on tour duty with the England U-16 team in the European youth championship in Austria. He returned for the second leg where Liverpool had fallen behind early but Owen equalized with his eleventh goal in five cup matches and Liverpool won the match 2–1. Owen celebrated his 17th birthday by signing a professional contract with Liverpool.

He was handed a place in Roy Evans’ senior squad, with Steve Heighway stating that “Owen is ready for whatever you throw at him; nothing fazes Michael Owen. He also declared his aim was ” a first-team place in the next year or so.” Karl-Heinz Riedle, who before joining Liverpool in the summer of 1997 had never heard of Owen, declared, “It’s unbelievable when you see him play to realize that he’s only 17 years old,” he said. In January 1997 he was rated as “the best attacker of his age in the country”.

On 6 May 1997, Owen scored on his Liverpool debut against Wimbledon at Selhurst Park. Owen, who had come on as a substitute in the second half, “breathed new life into the Reds’ championship corpse,” and “began [Liverpool’s] best spell of the night”, but was ultimately not able to salvage a win. The Liverpool Echo stated, “It was a debut marked grandly.”He won the Premier League Golden Boot and was awarded the PFA Young Player of the Year award. He recorded many personal feats during the season and helped Liverpool challenge for the league championship.

Owen was runner-up to Zinedine Zidane in the World Player of the Year award, also finishing in the fourth position in the FIFA World Player of the Year and European Player of the Year international awards. With his pace identified as his greatest strength, Liverpool’s game revolved around feeding him with through passes and long balls. Owen constantly moved from static positions to full speed in a matter of split seconds. The club had appointed a new manager Gérard Houllier and was transitioning out of the Spice Boys era.

During the season 1999-2000 season, he returned to action after almost five months of the layoff. He had completed only six full games by January and, during a frustrating spell punctuated by recurring breakdowns, had managed to stay the 90 minutes only three times since mid-October. After that, Michael Owen injured his hamstring once again while playing against Middlesbrough in January.

Owen helped Liverpool to a treble in 2000–01, as the team won the League Cup, FA Cup, and UEFA Cup to end a six-year trophy drought. He was the recipient of the European Player of the Year award in recognition of his performances that season. He became the first English winner of the European football player of the Year since Kevin Keegan was given the honor in 1979. During the 2001-2002 season, Liverpool and Owen were challenged for the league championship.

He scored his 100th goal for Liverpool during the season against West Ham United on 29th December 2001. Liverpool thus became the first English team to win five trophies in one calendar year. Owen signed a four-year contract worth £ 70,000 a week with Liverpool during the season, making him one of the highest earners in the English Premiership. President of Real Madrid Florentino Perez started as early as March 2002 to sign Owen.

President declared his intentions to make Owen the next Galactico, stating that “the best players must play for Real Madrid”. Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier laughed off any apparent interest, saying, ” They might be able to afford Ronaldo but they cannot afford Michael Owen. Owen was also controversially overlooked for the PFA Player of the Year award during the season.

He had continued establishing personal records with Liverpool and had scored his 100th Premier League goal on 26 April against West Bromwich Albion. Success in the League Cup also meant that Liverpool had ended up with a trophy for a third consecutive season. Owen had scored in the League Cup Final against Manchester United to clinch the trophy for Liverpool.

Liverpool’s failure to qualify for the Champions League led to speculation about Owen’s long-term future. Transfer speculation had continued linking him to Real Madrid Barcelona. Owen was quoted as saying, “I have to be playing in the Champions League and that is something Liverpool has to remedy.” Houllier moved to re-shape the Liverpool squad in 2003 to reassure Owen. He stated, “We want to win the title.

This is our vision at Liverpool – and we want to win it with Michael Owen in our team.” Michael Owen is a genuine world-class player. Bolton Wanderers manager Sam Allardyce was quoted as saying, “Stop Michael Owen scoring and you are 50 percent towards getting a result at Anfield,” while Owen had admitted to being frustrated at the lack of support play from his teammates.

Liverpool emerged as title contenders once more, with Owen leading the charge. He, however, would suffer an ankle injury while playing against Arsenal on 3rd October and consequently, went through “three months of injury nightmare”. Owen only played intermittently over the following months, suffering from niggling ankle and hamstring injuries, while Liverpool’s season fell apart.

Liverpool in the subsequent match against Portsmouth on 15 February, although suffering from further injuries, ultimately led Liverpool to the fourth and final Champions League spot. Owen had been Liverpool’s top scorer every season until he left the club. Real Madrid signed him for a fee of £8 million on 13 August 2004, with the midfielder, Antonio Nunez moving in the other direction as a make-weight.

Real Madrid

Michael Owen was presented with the number 11 shirt by Real Madrid. He joined the club during its Galacticos era and played alongside Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Raul, Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, and his England teammate David Beckham. Owen had a slow start to his Madrid career. He was often confined to the bench and drew criticism from fans and the Spanish press for his lack of form.

He scored his first goal for the club, the winner in a 1-0 Champions League victory over Dynamo Kyiv. A few days later, he scored his first La Liga goal in a 1-0 victory over Valencia. Madrid’s signing of two high-profile Brazilian forwards, Robinho and Julio Baptista, in the summer of 2005, the speculation arose that he would return to the Premier League.

Newcastle United

Newcastle United announced that they had agreed to a club record fee of £16.8 million to obtain Owen, although they still had to negotiate with the player’s advisors on 24th August 2005. He wanted to get more playing time to secure his position as the first-choice striker in the England squad and join Newcastle amid rumors that he had inserted an escape valued at £12 million as the 2006 World Cup was less than a year away.

On 31 August 2005, Owen signed a four-year contract to play for Newcastle, despite initial press speculation that he would rather have returned to Liverpool. Several days after signing, he suffered a thigh injury in pre-season, which ruled him out for the start of the 2005–06 season. He broke a metatarsal bone in his foot in a match against Tottenham Hotspur. Owen underwent surgery to place a pin in the bone, to help speed the healing process.

He was expected to be out of action until late March, but the healing process did not go as hoped and on 24 March he underwent a second, minor operation. Owen then stated that he should be fit for the final few weeks of the season with Newcastle. He underwent a further X-ray and made himself unavailable for Newcastle’s final game of the season. At the 2006 FIFA World Cup a damaged anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee, was sustained in the first minute of his group match against Sweden.

The seriousness of his injury at the World Cup inflamed the so-called “club-versus-country row in England, centering on the liability of the world governing body FIFA and The Football Association (FA). Under the existing insurance arrangements between club and country, FIFA and the FA had been paying £50,000 of Owen’s £110,000 weekly wages since he suffered the injury, totaling approximately £2 million for the time he was out of action.

By September 2006, Newcastle was threatening to sue the FA for further compensation, for a reported figure of £20 million. The Owen case was a high-profile follow-up to an already ongoing legal claim for compensation from FIFA over an injury incurred by Abdelmajid Oulmers on international duty.

Newcastle’s compensation claim included the £10 million cost of buying Owen’s replacement, Obafemi Martins, £6.2 million towards Owen’s salary costs while injured, the possibility of long-term damage to Owen’s fitness and ability, the loss of league position and cup competition progress, depreciation of Owen’s four-year contract, and the cost of medical treatment for Owen.

The club, stating that Owen’s wages had “now been paid in full”, stated the overall compensation achieved totaled £10 million. Then, he started his first game for Newcastle in over a year, a 1-0 loss against Reading on 30th April 2007.

He played the full 90 minutes, having a goal allowed for offside. Newcastle Freddy Shepherd reacted angrily to reports that he could move on to another club at the end of the 2006-07 season due to a release clause in his contract on 9th May 2007. In “The Times” newspaper suggested he could be available for less than £10 million and could be a target for the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Arsenal.

In a video posted on YouTube, however, a group of Liverpool fans asked Shepherd if they could re-sign Owen, and Michael Owen responded by saying that he would “carry Owen back to Liverpool” himself. Shepherd also stated his dislike of Owen’s agent but praised Owen as a “good lad”.

Michael’s new manager at Newcastle, Sam Allardyce, confirmed the existence of the release clause in Owen’s contract and said he feared that the club would be powerless to prevent Owen from leaving on 10th June 2007. On 17 July 2007, he scored for Newcastle in a pre-season friendly against Hartlepool United.

Several days later, Owen picked up a thigh injury in training. Owen scored his first competitive goal for Newcastle since December 2005 when Michael Owen scored in the League Cup against Barnsley on 29th August 2007.

In late September 2007, after an encouraging start to the season playing for both Newcastle and England, it was reported that he would urgently require an operation for a double hernia and would likely be out of action for at least a month. Michael Owen suffered a thigh strain while on international duty, ruling him out for six weeks.

 This reignited the “club or country” row, with then Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce voicing his disappointment that Owen was risked in a low-key friendly game against Austria. On 16th January 2008, Keegan was only a spectator in the stands for this game. Michael Owen was awarded the captaincy by Keegan on 19th January 2008.

On 22nd March 2008, which marked Newcastle’s first win under Keegan’s second spell as manager, also marked the first time in his Newcastle career that Owen had scored more goals for Newcastle than against them. Michael Owen also suffered a calf strain during the summer months which kept him out of the opening game of the season against Manchester United at Old Trafford, a game which Newcastle drew 1–1.

Three days later, Michael Owen was named on the bench in a League Cup match away to Coventry City, he came on as a substitute and scored the winner in extra time in a 2–3 victory. With the 2008–09 season being the final year of his contract with Newcastle, Owen would have been allowed to sign a pre-contract agreement with other clubs during January.

He rejected a new contract offer from Newcastle, but stated that he would not be seeking a move in the January transfer window and instead intended to postpone talks over his contract situation until the end of the season on 22nd December 2008.

Owen received “substantial damages” in June in the High Court in London and a public apology following a story on 15 May in the Daily Express alleging that due to a lack of interest from Premier League clubs, Owen’s career was effectively finished and he intended to retire. After a disastrous season in general for the club, which culminated in Owen’s former Newcastle and England teammate Alan Shearer being brought in as a temporary manager for the final eight games of the season, on the final day of the season on 24 May 2009, Newcastle was relegated from the Premier League for the first time in 15 years.

On 14 June, it was reported that Owen’s management company Wasserman Media Group had sent out a 34-page brochure advertising Owen to several potential clubs.

Manchester United

It was announced that Owen had signed a two-year deal with Manchester United, arch-rivals of Liverpool on 3rd July 2009. Owen said that the approach from manager Alex Ferguson was ” out of the blue”. Michael Owen signed a pay-as-you-play deal and was handed the number 7 shirt vacated by the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid. The shirt had previously been worn by many of United’s other illustrious players over the years, including Johnny Berry, George Best, Steve Coppell, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, and David Beckham.

He followed this up by scoring three more goals in United’s pre-season games. He scored his first goal at Old Trafford, in the sixth minute of stoppage time against local rivals Manchester City to give United a 4-3 derby win On 20th September. Michael Owen struggled to recall the moments immediately after the goal and said that it ranked as one of his most important. On 3 November, Owen scored his first Champions League goal for Manchester United, as he grabbed United’s first in the 3–3 draw against CSKA Moscow.

Owen’s seemingly slim chances of earning a place in Fabio Capello’s England squad for the 2010 World Cup finals 2010 received a boost when on 8 December 2009, Owen scored his first hat-trick for Manchester United in a 3–1 away win against VfL Wolfsburg in the Champions League, his first hat-trick since 2005.

On 5th March it was announced Owen required surgery on his hamstring, ruling him out for the rest of the season. Michael Owen scored his first goal for United back from injury in a 7-1 pre-season victory against a League of Ireland XI on 4th August 2010 at the newly built Aviva Stadium.

Four days later, Owen scored his first league goal of the season, United’s second equalizer with his first touch in a 2–2 away draw against Bolton Wanderers. His return match was on 19th March when he returned to the bench for United’s against Bolton.

Michael Owen was an unused substitute in the game. Michael Owen scored United’s final goal in their last league game of the season, at home to Blackpool, in which the Red Devils won 4-2. Michael Owen started his first game of the season in the third round of the League cup against Leeds United.

The second goal came on the half-hour mark, when he met Mame Biram Diouf’s cross with instant control, before firing a right-foot shot into the top. Dimitar Berbatov completed a run down the right flank before pulling the ball back into the box, with Owen scoring past Ross Worner. On 2nd November, Owen started in United’s home Champions League group stage match against Otelul Galati.

However, Michael Owen was substituted early in the first half when he pulled up with a thigh injury; this was his last appearance for the team. Michael Owen started full training but was not yet ready for first-team games in April 2012. He was named as a substitute against Sunderland in United’s final fixture, but he was not brought on on 13th May 2012.

Stoke City

Owen joined Stoke City on a one-year contract on 4th September 2012. The started his time at Stoke on 19th January 2013 in a 3-1 defeat at Swansea City, his first goal since 25th October 2011. Michael Owen announced that he would retire from playing at the end of the 2012-2013 season on 19th March 2013. He was restricted to just eight Premier League appearances for Stoke.

International Career

Owen was capped 89 times for England and scored 40 goals. He is also England’s second-highest goalscorer in competitive international matches, behind Rooney. He played for England at eh 1998, 2002, and 2006 FIFA World Cups and the 2000 and 2004 UEFA European Championships.

Emergence

Michael Owen had a highly successful record at the youth level, he is playing for the England U-20 team at the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship and scoring three goals in four games. He make his debut for the England senior team in a 2-0 friendly loss to Chile on 11th February 1998.

Owen’s youthful enthusiasm, pace, and talent made him a popular player across the country, and many fans were keen for him to be selected for the 1998 World Cup in France.

1998 World Cup

Michael Owen was selected for the World Cup squad by manager Glenn Hoddle, becoming England’s youngest-ever player at a World Cup when he came on as a substitute in the opening match against Tunisia. Michael Owen hit the post with a long-range shot, almost salvaging a point from the game in stoppage time. Because of his impact against Romania, Hoddle selected Owen in the starting line-up for England’s decisive group match against Colombia.

England won the match and Owen retained his place for the second-round match against Argentina. Owen was fouled in the penalty area by Roberto Ayala and Alan Shearer equalized with the penalty kick. Michael Owen struck the ball past goalkeeper Carlos Roa from just outside the penalty box. England eventually drew the match and went out of the tournament on penalties, with Owen successfully converting his kick.

Euro 2000

Owen started the UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying phase as a regular in England’s starting line-up. However, injury problems meant they missed much of the campaign as England struggled, with Hoddle being replaced by Kevin Keegan. At the finals, Owen scored once in three matches, as England was knocked out at the group stage.

2002 World Cup

Owen took over as England’s senior striker after Alan Shearer’s retirement, under new manager Sven-Goran Eriksson. His performances saw him named European Footballer of the Year in 2001. Owen was named as England’s Captain for a friendly match against Paraguay in place of the injured regular captain David Beckham in April 2002.

Michael Owen failed to score during the group stage at the 2002 World Cup finals. Owen scored in England’s second-round match against Denmark and then gave England an early lead in the 2–1 quarter-final defeat against Brazil.

Euro 2004

He scored five times in the qualification for Euro 2004. He again failed to score during the group stage at the tournament proper. He then scored in the third minute of the quarter-final with Portugal. England went on to lose on penalties after a 2–2 draw.

2006 World Cup

In qualification for the 2006 World Cup, Owen scored five goals. Michael Owen scored his second international hat-trick in a friendly match against Colombia at Giants Stadium. He make his debut for the England B-team in a friendly against Belarus on 25th May 2006, as part of his return to match fitness ahead of the 2006 World Cup. He started England’s first two games of the 2006 World Cup, against Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago, but did not manage to score.

After Playing only 51 seconds of his third appearance of the tournament, and 80th cap, in the final group game against Sweden, he badly twisted his right knee and was forced to leave the match on a stretcher. A scan of the injury on 21 June confirmed that Owen had torn the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his knee, and was sent home, no longer able to play in the tournament.

Final Appearances

Michael Owen underwent successful reconstruction surgery, carried out by Richard Steadman, on 6th September 2006. The injury sidelined him until April 2007. He returned for the England B game against Albania and was named in the full squad for the first England match at the new Wembley Stadium against Brazil and the Euro 2008 qualifier against Estonia, with him stating “I feel sharp and, if given the chance, I feel confident when in front of goal.

On 12 September 2007, Owen scored twice for England in a 3–0 win over Russia, becoming the first player to score international goals at both the old and new Wembley Stadiums. After England failed to qualify for Euro 2008, manager Steve McClaren was replaced by Fabio Capello. Owen made only one appearance under Capello, as a substitute in a friendly against France in March 2008.

Michael Owen’s Style of Play

Owen was highly regarded for his great pace, opportunism, and agility, as well as his technical ability and his eye for goal, which enabled him to be considered one of the greatest English and Premier League strikers of his generation. Michael Owen was a powerful and accurate finisher, who was also effective with his head, despite his lack of height.

Owen was also capable of linking up with and creating chances for teammates due to his short passing ability and vision. Michael Owen faced many injuries throughout his career, which in later years affected his pace, fitness, mobility, and the overall consistency of his performances.

Michael Owen Awards & Achievements

Liverpool

• FA Cup in 2000-01.
• Football League Cup in 2000–01, 2002–03.
• FA Charity Shield in 2001.
• UEFA Cup in 2000–01.
• UEFA Super Cup in 2001.

Newcastle United

• UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2006.

Manchester United

• Premier League in 2010–11.
• Football League Cup in 2009–10.
• FA Community Shield in 2010.

Individual

• Ballon d’Or in 2001.
• World Soccer World Player of the Year in 2001.
• ESM Team of the Year in 2000–01.
• Onze d’Argent in 2001.
• BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1998.
• Premier League Golden Boot in 1997–98, 1998–99.
• Premier League Player of the Season in 1997–98.
• PFA Young Player of the Year in 1997–98.
• PFA Team of the Year: 1997–98 Premier League.
• Premier League Player of the Month in August 1998.
• FIFA World Cup Best Young Player Award in France 1998.
• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team in 1998 (Reserve).
• Premier League 10 Seasons Awards in Domestic Team of the Decade.

FIFA 100.

• English Football Hall of Fame in 2014.
• Golden Foot in 2017, as a football legend.

Michael Owen’s Net Worth Michael Owen’s net worth is estimated at $68 million dollars. His annual salary is 1.3 million GBP (as of November 2022). He was retired now but lastly, he was playing for a team Liverpool. On 19th March 2013, he announced his retirement.

Michael Owen Social Handles

• Instagram: themichaelowen
• Twitter: themichaelowen
• Facebook: Michael-Owen

Michael Owen Amazing Facts

• Before retirement, Owen played with the Liverpool team.
• His position in his team as a striker.
• He was highly regarded for his great pace, opportunism, and agility.
• Owen bought multiple houses on one street for his extended family in Ewloe, which is in an area close to where he used to live.
• His sister Karen was assaulted by two youths, who attempted to kidnap her. When she revealed that she was pregnant, they fled in 2004.
• He owns several cars and a helicopter and enjoys horse racing and gambling.
• He owns many racehorses, trained by Tom Dascombe.
• Owen was a brand ambassador for British bookmaker Colossus Bets.
• In 2001, he was the advertising face of the breakfast cereal “Nestlé Sporties”.
• He has been an ambassador of the Swiss watchmaker Tissot since 1998 and has a contract with car manufacturer Jaguar.
• He participated in And They’re Off! in aid of Sport Relief, winning the episode in 2018 January.
• In May 2022, crypto casino Punt announced Owen as their most recent global brand ambassador
• In June 2022, his oldest daughter Gemma, now 19, took part in series 8 of the ITV reality show Love Island where she finished in second place.

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