Michael Owen - Liverpool

Liverpool fans got to see the best of Michael Owen; at his peak an electrifying forward with pace to burn and a goalscoring touch matched by few others in Premier League history.

He shone brightly, but not for long, and by the time he left Anfield his best days were behind him.

Owen led the Reds to a famous treble in 2001, including the FA Cup, the League Cup and the UEFA Cup, bagging himself the Ballon d’Or in the process.

It might be difficult for young fans these days to appreciate just how good the slightly boring television pundit used to be but for those who lived through the brief, brilliant Owen era, they’ll never forget.

The Treble Winning Season and Ballon d’Or Triumph

These days he should have the Kop singing his name but an acrimonious exit - allied with a later move to Manchester United - means he will never be as beloved in Merseyside to the extent that his talent deserved.

Michael Owen was born on December 14, 1979, and grew up an Everton fan. His father Terry had been a player, briefly, for the Toffees in the 1960s.

He joined Liverpool aged 12 amid a clamour for his signature having been long marked out as one of the finest talents of his generation. He broke goalscoring record after goalscoring record for Liverpool and England youths alike, having decamped to the FA’s School of Excellence at Lilleshall aged 14.

He scored in Liverpool’s FA Youth Cup victory in 1996, against Rio Ferdinand’s West Ham, and signed professional terms on his 17th birthday.

A player who would come to be regarded by many as the greatest striker of his generation, Owen made his full, goalscoring Liverpool debut against Wimbledon in May 1997, aged only 17.

Injury Troubles: How Michael Owen's Career Changed

After his first full season as a Liverpool player, he was joint-top scorer in the Premier League with 18, sharing the Golden Boot with Dion Dublin and Chris Sutton.

He had stepped into the void created by Robbie Fowler’s anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, which ruled him out for most of that campaign.

After that first season, he was voted the PFA Young Player of the Year and finished third in the senior vote, behind Arsenal pair Tony Adams and the winner Dennis Bergkamp. The following season he retained the Golden Boot alongside Dwight Yorke and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.

By that time he was an international superstar. Although he only made his England debut on the eve of the tournament, Owen was the breakout star of the 1998 World Cup with his goal in the second-round defeat against Argentina ranking as one of the best England goals of all time.

But there were already signs that Owen would suffer injury trouble of his own. That second Golden Boot came in spite of the fact that he suffered his season-ending, and career-altering, hamstring injury with a full seven matches still to play. He would be out for a total of five months with the injury and for intermittent spells thereafter.

It was in April 1999 when Owen suffered that injury, in a game against Leeds United, a blow which forever altered his game, as he had been so reliant on his explosiveness to get away from his markers.

Real Madrid Move: A Year in Spain

Owen did, however, help Liverpool to a treble in 2001, winning the League Cup and the UEFA Cup with his finest moment coming at the Millennium Stadium for the FA Cup final. After Liverpool fell behind to Arsenal, Owen struck two late goals against the Gunners to claim the Cup for the Reds.

At the end of that year, he was awarded the Ballon d’Or, becoming the fourth English winner of the European Footballer of the Year award.

He won the annual award, handed out by France Football, ahead of Real Madrid’s Raul and Oliver Kahn of Bayern Munich. The other English recipients have been Stanley Matthews (1956), Bobby Charlton (1966) and Kevin Keegan twice (1978, 1979).

Newcastle United Struggles and Injury Woes

When a £16.8m bid came in from Newcastle just a year after Owen signed, Real were content to accept it and let Owen return home. He declared in later years that he was disappointed that a return to Liverpool didn’t work out.

The move to the North East could hardly be said to have gone well. He was injured frequently, suffering an ACL at the World Cup, and fans were exasperated with how little time he was actually spending on the pitch.

He rather infamously flew in and out of Tyneside for matches and daily training sessions by helicopter from his home in north Wales. His time at Newcastle was tumultuous and unhappy, culminating in relegation in 2009 with Owen an unpopular choice as club captain.

He didn’t even muster 80 appearances throughout his four seasons at St. James’ Park.

Surprising Move to Manchester United

Where Owen pitched up next was a surprise for everyone. Following a personal phone call from Sir Alex Ferguson, he signed a two-year deal with Liverpool’s detested rivals Manchester United, taking over Cristiano Ronaldo’s vacant No.7 shirt.

His biggest achievement there came in the Manchester Derby at Old Trafford in September 2009, where he scored a last-gasp winning goal in a 4-3 victory for the ages.

Owen's Final Years: Stoke City and Retirement

And finally, Owen could call himself a Premier League champion, scoring in the last game of the 2010-11 season against Blackpool, and securing his first English top-flight winner’s medal.

He added one more year to his United deal but played his last game for the club in November 2011 against Otelul Galati in the Champions League group stages, where he suffered another injury. A one-season spell at Stoke City closed out his playing career.

Michael Owen's Life Beyond Football

He has since become infamous for his banal co-commentary and punditry on TNT Sports since ending his playing days. Some of his most famous quotes include: “Whichever team scores more goals usually wins,” and “When they don’t score they hardly ever win.”

Michael Owen’s Family: The Next Generation

Owen is the father of four children with his wife Louise. Their eldest child is 20-year-old Gemma Rose Owen. She competes in dressage for Team GB, representing her country at the 2021 European Championships, and is the owner of swimwear company OG Beachwear.

Gemma placed second in the 2022 edition of Love Island, alongside ex-partner Luca Bish.

Michael Owen’s Ventures in Horse Racing and Broadcasting

He founded Manor House Stables in 2006, a thoroughbred racehorse facility in Cheshire that began operating in 2007. Owen and wife Louise converted the stables from a cattle barn. The current trainer is Hugo Palmer, who began working at Manor House in 2022. Andrew Black, the co-founder of Betfair, became joint-owner of the stables in 2009.