Photo: David Seow / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Michael Owen represents something football rarely produces anymore: a teenager who was already world-class. Winning the BBC Sports Personality award in 1998 and the Ballon d'Or in 2001, he compressed a lifetime of brilliance into a few electric years. At 172 cm he beat defenders with pure speed and ice-cold finishing, and that early peak is exactly why I find his story so compelling. It is both a triumph and a cautionary tale about burning bright too soon. His second act as a racehorse breeder and pundit feels fitting: a man obsessed with speed, still chasing it from a different seat. I respect that consistency of character.
Overview
Michael James Owen (born 14 December 1979) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker for Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle United, Manchester United, and Stoke City, as well as the England national team. Since retiring from football in 2013, he has become a racehorse breeder and owner and regularly features as a sports pundit and commentator.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Michael Owen
- Name (Japanese)
- マイケル・オーウェン
- Reading
- まいける・おーうぇん
- Born
- December 14, 1979 (age 46)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Goat
- Origin
- Chester, United Kingdom
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 172 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- association football player
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Hawarden High School
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- 2001 Ballon d'Or
- 1998 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Association football player — see all → · More people from United Kingdom →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-11
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.