The son of former footballerTerry Owen, Owen was born inChester and began his senior career at Liverpool in 1996. Displaying rapid pace and composed finishing, he progressed through the Liverpool youth team and scored on hisPremier League debut in May 1997, becoming the club's youngest goalscorer, at 17 years, 143 days.[10] In his first full season in the Premier League, Owen finished as joint top scorer with 18 goals, sharing thePremier League Golden Boot. He repeated this the following year and was Liverpool's top goal-scorer from 1997 to 2004, gaining his name as a proven goal-scorer despite suffering from a recurringhamstring injury. In2001, Liverpool won a cuptreble of theUEFA Cup,FA Cup (with Owen scoring two late goals inthe final) andFootball League Cup. He went on to score 118 goals in 216 appearances in the Premier League for Liverpool, and 158 goals in 297 total appearances.
After Liverpool had fallen behind their title rivals underGérard Houllier's final two seasons, Owen opted not to renew his contract and then moved to Real Madrid for £8 million in the summer of 2004. There he was frequently used as asubstitute. He scored 13 goals inLa Liga before returning to England the following season where he joined Newcastle United for £16.8 million. This was after Owen's disappointment that Real had rejected a bid from Liverpool to re-sign him.[11][12] After a promising start to the 2005–06 season, injuries largely ruled him out over the next 18 months. After his return, he became teamcaptain and was the team's top scorer for the2007–08 season. Newcastle were relegated in the2008–09 season and, in a surprise move, Owen moved to Manchester United as afree agent. He spent three years atOld Trafford before joining Stoke City in September 2012. Owen is one of ten players to have scored150 or more goals in the Premier League.[13] He is also the youngest player to have reached 100 goals in the Premier League.[14] On 19 March 2013, Owen announced his retirement from playing at the end of the2012–13 season.
Internationally, Owen first played for the senior England team in 1998, becoming England's youngest player and youngest goalscorer at the time. His performance at the1998 FIFA World Cup, which included a goal against Argentina in which he ran from the halfway line, brought him to national and international prominence, making him one of the most sought after players in world football.[10] He went on to score inUEFA Euro 2000, the2002 World Cup andEuro 2004. He was the first player to have scored in four consecutive major tournaments for England. He played at the2006 World Cup, but suffered an injury which took him a year to recover from. Occasionally playing as captain, he is England's 11th-most-capped player and has scored a former national record (since overtaken byWayne Rooney) of 26 competitive goals, with 40 in total from 89 appearances, most recently in 2008.[15]
Owen was born inChester,Cheshire, the fourth child of Jeanette andTerry Owen.[16] His father is a former professional footballer and played for clubs such asChester City andEverton. Owen was introduced to football at the age of seven by his father who soon saw Michael as the most promising athlete in the family.[16] A boyhood Everton fan,[17] Owen attended Rector Drew Primary School inHawarden,Flintshire, Wales and by the age of ten, some of the nation's leading scouts were monitoring his progress.[18]
At eight, Owen was selected for the Deeside Area Primary School's Under-11 team. At nine, he was captain and at ten he had smashedIan 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.[19][20] Owen also brokeGary Speed's appearance record having played in all three seasons for the 11-year-olds since he was eight.[20] Owen turned out for the youth team ofMold Alexandra,[16] playing 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.[16] Owen scored on his debut for Mold Alexandra,[19] a 2–0 victory over local rivals Bagillt.[19] He went on to score 34 goals in 24 games in his first season with Mold Alexandra.[21] After leaving Deeside, Owen attendedHawarden High School, where he also played for the school team.[18]
Owen warming up for Liverpool atAnfield beforeJamie Carragher's Testimonial Match in 2010
At age 12, when Owen started attending secondary school, he became eligible to sign a schoolboy contract with a club. The first major club to spot him playing for Deeside wasLiverpool.Brian Kidd came down fromManchester United and there was also interest fromChelsea andArsenal. ButSteve Heighway, the Liverpool youth development officer, wrote to Owen personally. Terry Owen stated: "[Heighway] wrote us a smashing letter and it was love at first sight for Michael, he was impressed from day one."[20] Owen subsequently signed with the Liverpool youth team. The club then persuaded Owen to attend the FA's School of Excellence atLilleshall in Shropshire at age 14. Owen was soon playing for England teams from under-15 upwards, breaking several scoring records with 28 goals in 20 games for the England u-15s andu-16s.[20] Owen also scored prolifically as he rose rapidly through the Anfield youth ranks.[22] Throughout this time, Owen had continued his studies and achieved tenGCSEs.[23] Despite the academic success,[23] Owen was unshakeable, his future was a professional football career with the Liverpool youth team.[23]
In the 1995–96 season, Owen played for Liverpool's youth team even though he was still at Lilleshall. Most of the players were 18, but Owen was only 16.[20] He scored ahat-trick againstFA Youth Cup holders Manchester United in the quarter-finals, scoring the winner in extra time.[20] Owen subsequently scored another hat-trick in a 4–2 win in the first leg of the semi againstCrystal Palace. Liverpool were 3–0 down after only 50 minutes in the second leg,[20] but with Owen taking control of the match and scoring twice, the team ran out as 7–5 winners.[20] Liverpool facedWest Ham United in the final, played over two legs as well. West Ham had not lost in 24 consecutive games,[20] and had future England starsRio Ferdinand andFrank Lampard.[20] Owen missed the first leg atUpton Park as he was on tour duty with the England under-16 team in the European youth championship in Austria.[20] He returned for the second-leg where Liverpool had fallen behind early against West Ham but Owen equalised with his eleventh goal in five cup matches and Liverpool won the match 2–1.[20] It was the first time Liverpool had won the FA Youth Cup in the club's history and Owen was widely considered the star of the FA Youth Cup campaign.[20][22]
Owen celebrated his 17th birthday by signing a professional contract with Liverpool. He was handed a place inRoy Evans' senior squad, with Steve Heighway stating that, "[Owen] is ready for whatever you throw at him; nothing fazes Michael Owen. He's ready. If the manager wants a recommendation from me, Michael gets it."[24] Owen also declared his aim was "a first-team place in the next year or so".[20]Karl-Heinz Riedle, who prior to joining Liverpool in the summer of 1997 had never heard of Owen, declared, "It's unbelievable when you see him play to realise that he's only 17," he said. "He's such a good player, so very quick and for his age he has excellent vision and awareness. He's a great player already and in one or two years he will become a very great player."[20] Owen was rated as "the best attacker of his age in the country" in January 1997.[24]Ted Powell, the championship-winning coach of the England under-18 side, declared Owen to be the best of a generation of young players that includedPaul Scholes,David Beckham andRobbie Fowler.[25] On 6 May 1997, Owen scored on his Liverpool debut againstWimbledon atSelhurst Park.[26] Liverpool were league title challengers to Manchester United but their failure to beat Wimbledon in the penultimate game of the league season handed the championship to United. TheLiverpool Echo wrote, "[Only] Michael Owen could emerge with any credit from a performance that mocked Anfield's rich traditions."[26] 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",[26] but was ultimately not able to salvage a win.[26] TheLiverpool Echo stated, "It was a debut marked in the grand manner."[26]
Owen replaced the injured Robbie Fowler as Liverpool's first choice striker in1997–98. He won thePremier League Golden Boot and was awarded thePFA Young Player of the Year award. Owen also finished in third place in thePFA Player of the Year voting behindDennis Bergkamp andTony Adams.[27] Owen recorded many personal feats during the season and helped Liverpool challenge for the league championship, but ultimately a run of bad form in February saw the club bowing out of the title race.[28] TheLiverpool Echo wrote that, "[Owen] has become Liverpool's most precious performer and, quite simply, their saviour."[28] Owen signed a five-year contract with Liverpool worth £2.5 million during the season.[20] His £10,000-a-week deal made him the highest-paid teenager in the history of British football.[20] Owen was runner-up toZinedine Zidane in theWorld Player of the Year award, also finishing in fourth position in theFIFA World Player of the Year andEuropean Player of the Year international awards. Owen retained thePremier League Golden Boot in1998–99 despite incurring a hamstring injury againstLeeds United that prematurely brought his season to an end on 12 April. With his pace identified as his greatest strength, Liverpool's game had 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.ESPN wrote, "It [would] eventually [prove] too much for [Owen's] hamstring to handle.[21] Liverpool failed to challenge for the league title that season despite Owen's brilliant form. The club had appointed a new manager inGérard Houllier and were transitioning out of theSpice Boys era. Owen ended the 1998–99 season as runners-up toNicolas Anelka in the PFA Young Player of the Year award.[29]
Owen returned to action after almost five months of layoff during the1999–2000 season.[20] He played intermittently throughout the season and ended up ceding the Golden Boot toKevin Phillips.[30] He had completed only six full games by January and, during a frustrating spell punctuated by recurring breakdowns,[30] had managed to stay the 90 minutes only three times since mid-October. Owen injured his hamstring once again while playing againstMiddlesbrough in January. He remained out of action for well over a month and later received treatment from German doctorHans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt.[31] The persistent hamstring problems ended up robbing Liverpool of Owen for a third of a season in which a lack of goals eventually cost them a place in theChampions League.[31]
Owen helped Liverpool to atreble in2000–01, as the team won theLeague Cup,FA Cup andUEFA Cup to end a six-year trophy drought.[32] Owen was thus the recipient of theBallon d'Or in recognition of his performances that season.[33] He became the most recent English winner of the European Footballer of the Year award, and the first Englishman to win the award sinceKevin Keegan in 1979. Owen scored both of Liverpool's goals in their triumph over Arsenal in the2001 FA Cup Final as they came back from 1–0 down to win 2–1.[34][35]
Liverpool and Owen challenged for the league championship during the2001–02 season.[36][37] The team eventually finished runners-up to Arsenal, with Owen playing a key part in the campaign.[36] On 29 December 2001, Owen scored his 100th goal for Liverpool during the season against West Ham United.[38] He also led them to success in theCharity Shield and theUEFA Super Cup during the start of the season in 2001. Liverpool thus became the first English team to win five trophies in one calendar year.[20] 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.[39]Real Madrid presidentFlorentino Pérez started as early as in March 2002 to pursue Owen.[20] Pérez declared his intentions to make Owen the nextGaláctico, stating that "the best players must play for Real Madrid".[20] Liverpool manager Gérard Houllier laughed off any apparent interest, saying, "They might be able to affordRonaldo but they cannot afford Michael Owen. For that kind of money they could only buy his left foot but he is not going anywhere. Michael is Liverpool through and through and he is staying with me."[20]
2002–2004: Maintained performances and transfer rumours
Owen continued with strong performances in the2002–03 season which saw Liverpool top the league table and remain unbeaten for several months.[40][41] However, a run of disastrous results starting from November and culminating in January saw the team bow out of the title race. Chelsea pipped Liverpool to the fourth and final Champions League spot on the final day of the season.[42][43] Owen was also controversially overlooked for the PFA Player of the Year award during the season.[41] He had continued establishing personal records with Liverpool and had scored his 100th Premier League goal on 26 April againstWest Bromwich Albion.[44] Success in the League Cup also meant that Liverpool had ended up with a trophy for a third consecutive season. Owen had scored in theLeague Cup Final against Manchester United to clinch the trophy for Liverpool.[20] However, Liverpool's failure to qualify for the Champions League led to speculation about Owen's long-term future.[45] Transfer speculation had continued linking him to Real Madrid andBarcelona.[46][47] Owen was quoted as saying, "I really have to be playing in the Champions League and that is something [Liverpool] have to remedy."[48] Owen would later refute the quote, stating, "Some of the words I never even said and the rest were taken completely out of context."[49] Houllier moved to re-shape the Liverpool squad in 2003 to reassure Owen.[45] He stated, "We want to win the title. This is our vision at Liverpool – and we want to win it with Michael in our team. Michael is a genuine world-class player. He has had a great season and I think he will be even better next season."[45]Bolton Wanderers managerSam Allardyce was quoted as saying, "Stop Michael Owen scoring and you are 50 per cent towards getting a result at Anfield," while Owen had admitted to being frustrated at the lack of support play from his teammates.[50][51]
After a shaky start to the2003–04 season,[52] Liverpool emerged as title contenders once more, with Owen leading the charge.[52] Owen, however, would suffer an ankle injury while playing against Arsenal on 3 October and consequently went through "three months of injury nightmare".[53] Owen only played intermittently over the following months, suffering from niggling ankle and hamstring injuries, while Liverpool's season fell apart.[53] After a goal drought lasting nine games and three months, Owen returned to fitness and scoring form with a goal againstManchester City on 11 February.[54] Owen helped reignite Liverpool's hunt for fourth spot,[55] scoring his 150th goal for Liverpool in the subsequent match againstPortsmouth on 15 February,[56] and although suffering from further injuries,[57] ultimately led Liverpool to the fourth and final Champions League spot.[58][59] Following Gérard Houllier's sacking as Liverpool manager, speculation about Owen's departure from the club began. During the first few Champions League games at the start of the2004–05 season, Owen sat on the bench to avoid beingcup-tied for the Champions League, something that would have meant he would be unable to play in European competitions for any other club that season. Since 1998, Owen had been Liverpool's top scorer every season until he left the club.[60] Real Madrid signed him for a fee of £8 million on 13 August 2004, with midfielderAntonio Núñez moving in the other direction as a make-weight.[61]
Following their successful bid, on 14 August 2004, Real Madrid officially presented Owen with the number 11 shirt.[62] Owen joined the club during itsGalácticos era, and played alongside the "big four" of preceding star signings, namelyLuís Figo,Zinedine Zidane,Ronaldo, andDavid Beckham, as well as prominent team players from the pre-Galácticos era;Raúl,Roberto Carlos, andIker Casillas.[62] He also became the second Liverpool player to join Real Madrid in five years afterSteve McManaman, who played for the club from 1999 to 2003.
Owen was regarded as having a slow start to his Madrid career, often being confined to the bench. Owen sometimes drew criticism from fans and the Spanish press for his lack of form. A successful return to action with the England squad in October 2004 seemed to revive his morale however, and in the first following match, he scored his first goal for the club, the winner in a 1–0Champions League victory overDynamo Kyiv.[63] A few days later, he scored his firstLa Liga goal in a 1–0 victory overValencia.[64] The scoring spree continued, as he found the back of the net in three of the next four matches to make it five goals in seven matches. On 10 April 2005, Owen scored Real Madrid's fourth goal in a 4–2El Clásico win over Barcelona at theSantiago Bernabéu Stadium.[65] Owen ended the2004–05 season with 13 goals inLa Liga, with the season's highest ratio of goals scored to number of minutes played. Following Madrid's signing of two high-profile Brazilian forwards,Robinho andJúlio Baptista, in the summer of 2005, the speculation arose that Owen would return to the Premier League. During his time at Real Madrid, Owen scored 16 goals from 45 games, 26 of which were starts.[66]
On 24 August 2005,Newcastle United announced that they had agreed to a club record fee[67] of £16.8 million to obtain Owen, although they still had to negotiate with the player's advisers. Liverpool and local rivals Everton entered the fray, but were unwilling to match Madrid's asking price. As the2006 World Cup was less than a year away, Owen wanted to get more playing time to secure his position as the first-choice striker in theEngland squad and joined Newcastle amid rumours that he had inserted an escape clause valued at £12 million.[68] 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.[69] Some 20,000 fans were present at Newcastle's home ground ofSt James' Park for Owen's official unveiling as a Newcastle player.[70][71] Several days after signing, he suffered a thigh-injury in pre-season, which ruled him out for the start of the2005–06 season. He scored his first goal for the club on his second appearance, the second goal in a 3–0 away win atBlackburn Rovers on 18 September, Newcastle's first win of the season. Owen scored his firsthat-trick for Newcastle in the 4–2 away win over West Ham United on 17 December.[72] It was also a "perfecthat trick", with one goal scored with each of his left foot, right foot and head.
On 31 December 2005, Owen broke ametatarsal bone in his foot in a match againstTottenham Hotspur. He 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,[73] 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.[74] His return to action finally came againstBirmingham City on 29 April when he came off the substitutes' bench in the 62nd minute. After the match, Owen stated that he was "not 100% happy" with his foot.[75] He underwent a further X-ray and made himself unavailable for Newcastle's final game of the season. A damagedanterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee, sustained in the first minute of the group match againstSweden at the2006 FIFA World Cup, kept Owen out of regular football for nearly a year, until April 2007. The seriousness of Owen's injury at the World Cup inflamed the so-called "club-versus-country" row in England, centring on the liability of the world governing bodyFIFA andThe Football Association (FA) for the cost of injuries to players incurred while on international duty.[76] Newcastle were aggrieved at the length of time Owen would now be out of action in forthcoming Premier League and Cup competitions as a result of the World Cup injury, particularly as he had been out for the half-season prior to the World Cup. 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, totalling approximately £2 million for the time he was out of action.[77] By September 2006, Newcastle were threatening to sue the FA for further compensation, for a reported figure of £20 million.[78] The Owen case was a high-profile follow-up to an already ongoing legal claim for compensation from FIFA over an injury incurred byAbdelmajid Oulmers on international duty.[76] 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.[77][79] In February 2007, FIFA made Newcastle a "final offer" of £1 million.[79] By April 2007, Newcastle were threatening to take out an injunction to stop the FA from picking Owen for England games.[80] The club finally reached a compromise settlement figure with FIFA and the FA; FIFA indicated that the settlement was between £6 million and £7 million. The club, stating that Owen's wages had "now been paid in full", stated the overall compensation achieved totalled £10 million.[77] Resulting from 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.[76]
Owen training with Newcastle in 2007
Owen began light training on 12 February 2007, when pictures on the club's official website highlighted Owen running and carrying out minor exercises.[81] He made his comeback from injury on 10 April 2007 in a 4–1 behind-closed-doors friendly againstGretna, scoring after ten minutes and then setting up fellow strikerShola Ameobi before coming off an hour later.[82] Owen then started his first game for Newcastle in over a year, a 1–0 loss againstReading on 30 April 2007. He played the full 90 minutes, having a goal disallowed foroffside.[83]Owen was stretchered off an hour into Newcastle's game withWatford on 13 May 2007, suffering concussion after colliding with teammateMatty Pattison.[84] On 9 May 2007, Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd reacted angrily to reports that Owen could move on to another club at the end of the2006–07 season due to a release clause in his contract. A report inThe Times newspaper suggested Owen could be available for less than £10 million and could be a target for the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal. Despite these reports, Shepherd warned Owen "to show some loyalty" and warned him that "none of the big four clubs want him".[85] In a video posted on YouTube, however, a group of Liverpool fans asked Shepherd if they could re-sign Owen, he responded by saying that he would "carry Owen back to Liverpool" himself.[86] Shepherd also stated his dislike of Owen's agent but praised Owen as a "good lad".[87] This led many to believe that Owen would exercise his right to leave if the £9 million valuation was matched.[86] On 10 June 2007, Owen'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.[88] On 12 July 2007, however, Owen committed his immediate future to Newcastle, stating, "I believe that these can be good times to be at Newcastle, which is why I am more than happy to be here."[89]
On 17 July 2007, he scored for Newcastle in a pre-season friendly againstHartlepool United.[90] Several days later, Owen picked up a thigh injury in training.[91] Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce said that Owen was likely to miss the start of the forthcoming Premier League season due to the injury which "doesn't look as encouraging as we first thought".[92] Owen made his comeback from injury in a club friendly on 13 August 2007 and declared himself available for Newcastle's next match, againstAston Villa, as well as England's forthcoming international matches.[93] On 29 August 2007, Owen scored his first competitive goal for Newcastle since December 2005 when he scored in theLeague Cup againstBarnsley.[94] Three days later, he scored in the league with a late winner againstWigan Athletic.[95] 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 doublehernia and would likely be out of action for at least a month.[96] In his first match back from the hernia operation, he scored a late goal coming off the substitutes bench to clinch victory for Newcastle over Everton.[97] In November 2007, 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 againstAustria.[98] After over three months without a goal, Owen scored the first goal of the secondKevin Keegan era in a 4–1FA Cup third round replay win overStoke City on 16 January 2008, although Keegan was only a spectator in the stands for this game. Owen was awarded the captaincy by Keegan on 19 January 2008. He scored his first league goal of 2008 on 3 February. Owen's goal in the 2–0 defeat ofFulham on 22 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.[99] By 5 April 2008, after his and the team's early season poor form, Owen had scored six goals in the previous six matches, with Newcastle registering four wins and two draws, lifting Newcastle into mid-table after earlier relegation fears. In the final game of the season, Owen scored in a 3–1 loss at Everton, finishing with 11 goals in total, putting him in equal 13th position for Premier League goals for the 2007–08 season.
Owen missed all of the pre-season matches and training of the2008–09 season due to a bout ofmumps, which also kept him out of the international friendlies with theUSA andTrinidad and Tobago in May 2008. He also suffered a calf strain during the summer months which kept him out of the opening game of the season against Manchester United atOld Trafford, a game which Newcastle drew 1–1. He made his return in the second game of the season against Bolton Wanderers on 23 August 2008, coming on in the 53rd minute for the injured Obafemi Martins. He scored the winning header in the 71st minute, with the game finishing 1–0. Three days later, he was named on the bench in aLeague Cup match away toCoventry City, he came on as a substitute and scored the winner in extra time in a 2–3 victory. In the 2008–09 season, he featured more consistently than in prior seasons, scoring four goals in twelve league appearances. Under the transfer rules, 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. On 22 December 2008, Owen 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.[100][101] With speculation over his future continuing in the second half of the season, Owen received "substantial damages" in June in the High Court in London and a public apology following a story on 15 May in theDaily Express alleging that due to a lack of interest from Premier League clubs, Owen's career was effectively finished and he intended to retire.[102][103]
After a disastrous season in general for the club, which culminated in Owen's former Newcastle and England teammateAlan Shearer being brought in as a temporary manager for the final eight games of the season. Michael's alleged refusal to play in this run including a crucial home against Fulham ([104] proved costly, as on the final day of the season on 24 May 2009, Newcastle were 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.[105] On 22 June, Owen confirmed he would not be re-signing for Newcastle, in preference for a move to a Premier League club, or another top-flight foreign club.[101] It was reported that Owen would not begin negotiations with any other club until after 30 June when, on expiry of his contract, he would become eligible for afree transfer.[101] In September 2019, Owen stated that he regretted his move to Newcastle and that he had hoped for a return to Liverpool.[106]
Owen(wearing No.7) at his Manchester United début, againstBirmingham City on 16 August 2009.
On 3 July 2009, it was announced that Owen had signed a two-year deal with Manchester United,arch rivals of Liverpool.[107] A surprise move, Owen said that the approach from managerAlex Ferguson was "out of the blue". He signed a pay-as-you-play deal[107] and was handed the number 7 shirt vacated by the departure ofCristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid. The shirt had previously been worn by many of United's other illustrious players over the years, includingJohnny Berry,George Best,Steve Coppell,Bryan Robson,Eric Cantona and David Beckham.[108]
Owen scored his first goal for United on his debut, scoring an 84th-minute winner after coming on as a substitute in a pre-season friendly against a Malaysian XI;[109] he followed this up by scoring three more goals in United's pre-season games.[110][111] Owen made his league debut for United when he came on as a substitute against Birmingham City on 16 August in a 1–0 win,[112] and scored his first competitive goal in a Manchester United shirt against Wigan Athletic on 22 August in a 5–0 away win.[113] On 20 September, Owen scored his first goal at Old Trafford, in the sixth minute of stoppage time against local rivals Manchester City to give United a4–3derby win. This meant that Owen had now scored in his third derby, after scoring in theMerseyside derby, and theTyne–Wear derby in previous years.[114] Owen struggled to recall the moments immediately after the goal, and said that it ranked as one of his most important.[115] On 27 October, Owen scored a goal in the 2–0 away win against Barnsley to qualify United past the fourth round of the League Cup. On 3 November, Owen scored his first Champions League goal for Manchester United, as he grabbed United's first in the 3–3 draw againstCSKA Moscow.[116] Owen's seemingly slim chances of earning a place inFabio Capello's England squad for the 2010 World Cup finals in 2010 received a boost when on 8 December 2009, Owen scored his first hat-trick for Manchester United in a 3–1 away win againstVfL Wolfsburg in theChampions League, his first hat-trick since 2005.[117] On 28 February 2010, Owen scored United's first goal in their 2–1 victory over Aston Villa in the2010 League Cup final, but had to be substituted after pulling up on 42 minutes. Originally thought to be a minor injury, on 5 March it was announced Owen required surgery on his hamstring, ruling him out for the rest of the season.[118]
Owen(right) playing for Manchester United, with Everton'sJohn Heitinga.
Owen scored his first goal for United back from injury in a 7–1 pre-season victory against aLeague of Ireland XI on 4 August 2010 at the newly builtAviva Stadium.[119] On 22 September 2010, Owen scored twice during a 5–2 away win overScunthorpe United in the third round of theLeague Cup, his first goals of the season.[120] Four days later, Owen scored his first league goal of the season, United's second equaliser with his first touch in a 2–2 away draw against Bolton Wanderers.[121] Owen's first goal of 2011 came in United's 2–1FA Cup victory overSouthampton atSt Mary's Stadium on 29 January.[122] On 25 February, United manager Alex Ferguson said that Owen was a key part of his squad for the rest of the season. However, he suffered a groin injury and missed his team's next four games. His return match was on 19 March when he returned to the bench for United's game against Bolton.
By the time of United's penultimate game of the season, he had reached the number of league appearances required for a title winner's medal – his first in 15 seasons as a professional.[123] The game, on 14 May 2011, only required United to draw with Blackburn Rovers atEwood Park to win the title, and a 1–1 draw secured it for them. Owen was an unused substitute in the game.[124] Owen scored United's final goal in their last league game of the season, at home toBlackpool, in which theRed Devils won 4–2.[125] Owen was an unused substitute in United'sChampions League final defeat to Barcelona, marking the end of his season. He signed a one-year extension to his contract on 1 June 2011.[126]
Owen started his first game of the season in the third round of the League Cup against Leeds United. He scored two goals in the first half, helping United to progress to the fourth round with a 3–0 win. His first goal came after he advanced to the box and scuffed a shot into the corner of the net. The second goal came on the half-hour mark, when he metMame Biram Diouf's cross with instant control, before firing a right foot shot into the top.[127] Owen started his second game of the season in the fourth round of the League Cup, againstLeague Two clubAldershot Town. He scored the second goal of the 3–0 win.Dimitar Berbatov completed a run down the right flank before pulling the ball back into the box, with Owen scoring pastRoss Worner.[128]
Owen started in United's homeChampions Leaguegroup stage match againstOțelul Galați on 2 November, however he was substituted early in the first half when he pulled up with a thigh injury; this was his last appearance for the team. In February 2012, Owen started light training with the Manchester United squad. From April 2012, Owen started full training but was not yet ready for first team games. On 13 May 2012, Owen was named as a substitute againstSunderland in United's final fixture, but he was not brought on. On 17 May 2012, Owen announced onTwitter that Manchester United would not be offering him a new deal, ending his three-year association with the club.
Owen playing for Stoke City in a Premier League match on 22 September 2012 against Chelsea
On 4 September 2012, Owen joined Stoke City on a one-year contract.[129] He was handed the number 10 shirt from the departedRicardo Fuller and made his debut in a 1–1 draw against Manchester City on 15 September.[130] The start to his time at Stoke was hampered by a hamstring injury.[131] Owen scored his first and only goal for Stoke on 19 January 2013 in a 3–1 defeat atSwansea City, his first goal since 25 October 2011. In doing so, he became only the seventh player to reach 150 Premier League goals.[132]
On 19 March 2013, Owen announced that he would retire from playing at the end of the2012–13 season.[133] He was restricted to just eight Premier League appearances for Stoke, all coming from the substitutes' bench, including in his final appearance on 19 May 2013 against Southampton, where he received a standing ovation from both sets of supporters.[134][135]
"He is in the top four of our greatest finishers, along with Jimmy Greaves, Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer. Some might say he is at the top of that list. He was a baby-faced assassin. His finishing was amazing for a young man."
He made his debut for the England senior team in a 2–0 friendly loss toChile on 11 February 1998. This made Owen the youngest player to represent England in the 20th century at 18 years and 59 days of age.[138]
Owen's youthful enthusiasm, pace and talent made him a popular player across the country,[139] and many fans were keen for him to be selected for the1998 World Cup in France. In a pre-World Cup friendly againstMorocco, Owen scored his first goal for England.[140] The goal also made him the youngest ever player to have scored for England,[141] until his record was surpassed by Wayne Rooney in 2003.
"For me [Michael Owen was] the only good thing to come out of the '98 World Cup. Speed, cunning, balls." —Diego Maradona on Owen's performance in the 1998 World Cup.[142]
Owen was selected for theWorld Cup squad by managerGlenn Hoddle, becoming England's youngest ever player at a World Cup when he came on as a substitute in the opening match againstTunisia. In the following match, a 2–1 defeat toRomania, Owen again appeared as asubstitute. His equalising goal made him England's youngest ever goalscorer in the tournament at the age of 18 years and 190 days. Instoppage time, he hit the post with a long range shot, almost salvaging a point from the game.[143] Because of his impact against Romania, Hoddle selected Owen in the starting line-up for England's decisivegroup match againstColombia. England won the match and Owen retained his place for thesecond round match againstArgentina. After Argentina had taken a sixth-minute lead, Owen was fouled in thepenalty area byRoberto Ayala andAlan Shearer equalised with thepenalty kick. In the 16th minute, Owen gave England a 2–1 lead with a sensational individual goal. After beating defenders Ayala andJosé Chamot, he struck the ball past goalkeeperCarlos Roa from just outside the penalty box. In 2013, the goal was voted as the third-greatest in England's history.[144] England eventually drew the match and went out of the tournament onpenalties, with Owen successfully converting his kick.[145] At the end of the year, he won a public vote to be elected winner of the prestigiousBBC Sports Personality of the Year title.[146]
Owen started theUEFA Euro 2000 qualifying phase as a regular in the England starting line-up. However, injury problems meant he missed much of the campaign as England struggled, with Hoddle being replaced byKevin Keegan. On 4 September 1999, he scored his first goal atWembley Stadium in a 6–0 win overLuxembourg.[147] Atthe finals, Owen scored once in three matches, as England were knocked out at thegroup stage, after losing again to Romania.
"You know that if he is on the pitch, there is always the chance to win until the last second of the game. There are so many good memories of Michael and my relationship with him as coach, but it must be scoring three goals against Germany away. I never thought about that, but I wonder now how many players have scored three goals in Germany away? That can't be many."
In April 2002, he was named as England'scaptain for a friendly match againstParaguay in place of the injured regular captain David Beckham. Owen was the youngest England captain sinceBobby Moore in 1963,[150] and in the following few seasons regularly deputised for Beckham as Eriksson's vice-captain.
At the2002 World Cup finals, Owen failed to score during thegroup stage. However, he was fouled for England's match winning penalty kick in the 1–0 win over Argentina. Owen scored in England'ssecond round match againstDenmark and then gave England an early lead in the 2–1quarter-final defeat againstBrazil.
At the tournament proper, Owen again failed to score during thegroup stage. He then scored in the third minute of thequarter-final withPortugal, becoming the first England player to score in four consecutive major tournaments.[151] England went on to lose on penalties after a 2–2 draw.
In May 2005, he scored his second international hat-trick in a friendly match against Colombia atGiants Stadium.[152] In another pre-World Cup friendly, Owen scored two late goals to give England a 3–2 win over rivals Argentina in November 2005.[153]
Owen made his debut for theEngland B-team in a friendly againstBelarus on 25 May 2006, as part of his return to match fitness ahead of the2006 World Cup. He captained England B in this game, playing for 61 minutes before being substituted.[154]
Owen started England's first two games of the 2006 World Cup, against Paraguay andTrinidad 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 againstSweden, Owen badly twisted his right knee and was forced to leave the match on a stretcher.[155] A scan of the injury on 21 June confirmed that Owen had torn theanterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his knee, and was sent home, no longer able to play in the tournament.[156] In March 2009, Owen admitted that all injuries he was sustaining were relating back to his injury in the 2006 World Cup tournament, and that he should not have returned prematurely from injury to participate in the competition.[157]
Owen underwent successful reconstruction surgery, carried out byRichard Steadman, on 6 September 2006.[158] The injury sidelined him until April 2007, meaning he missed England's first six matches inqualifying forEuro 2008. He returned for the England B game againstAlbania,[159] and was named in the full squad for the first England match at the newWembley Stadium against Brazil and the Euro 2008 qualifier againstEstonia,[160] with Owen stating "I feel sharp and, if given the chance, I feel confident when in front of goal."[161] He played in both matches and scored against Estonia, breaking Gary Lineker's record for most goals in competitive internationals for England.[162]
On 12 September 2007, Owen scored twice for England in a 3–0 win overRussia, becoming the first player to score international goals at both the old and new Wembley Stadiums.[163] These were to be Owen's final goals for England.[164]
After England failed to qualify forEuro 2008, managerSteve McClaren was replaced byFabio Capello. Owen made only one appearance under Capello, as a substitute in a friendly againstFrance in March 2008.[165]
In his prime, Owen was highly regarded for his great pace,[166] opportunism[167] and agility,[168] as well as his technical ability and his eye for goal,[167][168] which enabled him to be considered one of the greatest English and Premier League strikers of his generation.[169] A prolific goalscorer, Owen was a powerful and accurate finisher,[168][170] who was also effective with his head, despite his lack of height.[168][170][171][172] He was also capable of linking up with and creating chances for teammates due to his short passing ability and vision.[168][170] Despite, or even due to, his precocious talent in his youth,[168] Owen faced many injuries throughout his career, which in later years affected his pace, fitness, mobility and the overall consistency of his performances.[173]
Owen met Louise Bonsall at primary school in 1984.[174] The couple bought Lower Soughton Manor nearMold, Flintshire,North Wales, where they keep his cars and her horses. They were engaged on 14 February 2004, and married on 24 June 2005,[175] at the Carden Park Hotel inChester, Cheshire. The couple had initially planned to get married at their home, but changed plans when they were informed that if a licence was granted for a marriage ceremony the venue must be made available for other weddings for three years,[174] so opted to marry in a register office in informal clothing and have a lavish reception the next day in the grounds of their home.
Their daughter, Gemma Rose, was born on 1 May 2003.[176] On 6 February 2006, they had a son named James Michael. Their third child, a daughter, Emily May, was born on 29 October 2007.[177] Their fourth child Jessica was born on 26 February 2010.[178]
After Owen returned to the UK to play for Newcastle, he travelled to a nearbyBAE Systems facility on a daily basis in order to fly, byhelicopter, to train with his club. However, there is now a helipad installed within the grounds of the house to accommodate Owen'sEurocopter Dauphin, with which he both travels and is training to become a pilot.[179] Owen was eventually banned from training to be a pilot by Newcastle United due to excessive insurance premiums.[180]
Owen bought multiple houses on one street for his extended family inEwloe, which is in an area close to where he used to live.[181][182]
In 2004, Owen's sister Karen was assaulted by two youths, who attempted to kidnap her. When she revealed that she was pregnant, they fled.[183]
On 24 November 2017, Owen rode on Calder Prince atAscot and finished second, beaten by Tom Chatfield-Roberts on Golden Wedding. He was one of 10 amateur riders to take part in the seven-furlong 'Prince's Countryside Fund Charity' contest, which was attended by HRH Prince Charles and HRH Duchess of Cornwall.[188]
Owen starred in a series of adverts that charted his life and rise to fame.[189] In 2001, he was the advertising face of breakfast cereal "Nestlé Sporties". He also appeared in several adverts for the washing powderPersil, in a contract worth £1 million.[189] Owen was selected as one of the two cover athletes forPro Evolution Soccer 2008.[190] He has been an ambassador of the Swiss watchmakerTissot since 1998 and has a contract with car manufacturerJaguar.[191][192]
Owen also starred as himself in the children's television drama showHero to Zero. In the programme, Owen would emerge from a full-size poster of himself in Charlie Brice's room to offer advice in times of crisis.[193]
Owen had indicated that he would like to become involved withChester in some capacity when he retires, as it was his local team growing up and his father played for the oldChester side which went out of business in March 2010 and was reformed at a lower level.[194]
In January 2018, Owen participated inAnd They're Off! in aid of Sport Relief, winning the episode.[195]
In May 2022, cryptocasino Punt announced Owen as their most recent global brand ambassador.[197] Following this, in June 2022 Owen was found to have breached UK laws regarding gambling advertising, as he had used his Twitter account to promote an unlicenced cryptocurrency casino to the British public. He was instructed by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to delete the promotions for the non-fungible token scheme, which breached rules about advertising cryptocurrency gambling products.[198]
In June 2022, his oldest daughter Gemma, 19, took part inseries 8 ofITV reality showLove Island where she finished in second place.[199][200]
In a BBC interview in January 2024, Owen revealed that his son James had been diagnosed withStargardt disease, a degenerative eye condition, when he was eight years old.[201]
^Wright, James (18 November 2004)."The perfect gentleman".TheFA.com. The Football Association. Archived fromthe original on 2 December 2008. Retrieved9 September 2007.
^Whitten, Nick (1 September 2005)."He's the man".Shields Gazette. Archived fromthe original on 22 May 2009. Retrieved24 October 2007.The Metro from South Shields to Newcastle was packed to the rafters, and it seemed every second person was wearing a Newcastle shirt with Owen's name on the back.
^Hatherall, Chris (8 June 2007)."Owen's honour".TheFA.com. The Football Association. Archived fromthe original on 29 October 2007. Retrieved8 June 2007.
^Sanghera, Mandeep (8 September 2007)."England 3–0 Israel". BBC Sport.Archived from the original on 19 August 2017. Retrieved9 September 2007.
^"Owen, il principe ereditario" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. 29 May 1998.Archived from the original on 18 December 2014. Retrieved18 December 2014.
^ab"meraviglia di ragazzo" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. 1 December 2001.Archived from the original on 18 December 2014. Retrieved18 December 2014.
^"l' Inter fa l' esame al gioiellino Owen" [Inter tests the little jewel Owen].La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). 4 August 1998.Archived from the original on 18 December 2014. Retrieved18 December 2014.
