Who Is Michael Owen? Age, Biography and Wiki
Born on December 14, 1979, Michael Owen is currently 45 years old. A former striker, he gained fame for his incredible speed, finishing, and tactical intelligence on the field. With a prolific career that spanned from the late 1990s to the early 2010s, Owen played for clubs including Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle United, Manchester United, and Stoke City. Following his retirement, he transitioned into a commentator and sports analyst, sharing his insights and experiences with football fans worldwide.
| Occupation | Autobiographer |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | December 14, 1979 |
| Age | 45 Years |
| Birth Place | Chester, England |
| Horoscope | Sagittarius |
| Country | England |
Popularity
Michael Owen's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
Michael Owen stands at an impressive height of 5 feet 10 inches (178 cm) and maintained a weight of around 165 pounds (75 kg) during his playing days. As a child, his dedication to fitness allowed him to achieve peak athletic performance, and he has remained fit even after his professional career.
After a shaky start to the 2003–04 season, Liverpool emerged as title contenders once more, with Owen leading the charge. Owen, however, would suffer an ankle injury while playing against Arsenal on 3 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. After a goal drought lasting nine games and three months, Owen returned to fitness and scoring form with a goal against Manchester City on 11 February.
Owen helped reignite Liverpool's hunt for fourth spot, scoring his 150th goal for Liverpool in the subsequent match against Portsmouth on 15 February, and although suffering from further injuries, ultimately led Liverpool to the fourth and final Champions League spot.
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 the 2004–05 season, Owen sat on the bench to avoid being cup-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. Real Madrid signed him for a fee of £8 million on 13 August 2004, with midfielder Antonio Núñez moving in the other direction as a make-weight.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Michael Owen is married to Louise Bonsall, whom he met during his school years. The couple has been together since 2005 and shares four children: Gemma, Emily, Jessica, and James. Although Owen enjoys sharing glimpses of his family life on social media, he has remained private regarding romantic relationships outside of his marriage. There have been no publicly known affairs or significant discussions about any other romantic involvements.
His father is a former professional footballer and played for clubs such as Chester City and Everton. 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.
A boyhood Everton fan, Owen 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.
Net Worth and Salary
As of 2025, Michael Owen’s net worth is estimated to be around $60 million. His wealth stems from his successful football career, endorsements, and various business ventures. Owen's savvy investments, including his racehorse ownership and involvement in several enterprises, have significantly contributed to his financial portfolio. Through his commentary and analysis work, he continues to earn a substantial salary, enhancing his already impressive net worth.
On 31 December 2005, Owen broke a metatarsal bone in his foot in a match against Tottenham 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, 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. His return to action finally came against Birmingham 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.
He underwent a further X-ray and made himself unavailable for Newcastle's final game of the season. A damaged anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee, sustained in the first minute of the group match against Sweden at the 2006 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 body FIFA and The Football Association (FA) for the cost of injuries to players incurred while on international duty.
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.
By September 2006, Newcastle were 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.
In February 2007, FIFA made Newcastle a "final offer" of £1 million. By April 2007, Newcastle were threatening to take out an injunction to stop the FA from picking Owen for England games. 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. 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.
Career, Business and Investments
Michael Owen's football career was marked by numerous achievements, including being the youngest player to score for England and winning the Ballon d'Or in 2001. Post-retirement, Owen has built a diverse career, transitioning into media as a football pundit and expert. Additionally, he has ventured into horse racing, owning successful racehorses and establishing a thriving business in the equestrian field. Owen’s business acumen has led him to invest wisely, ensuring a prosperous future beyond football.
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 was Liverpool. Brian Kidd came down from Manchester United and there was also interest from Chelsea and Arsenal.
But Steve 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." Owen subsequently signed with the Liverpool youth team.
The club then persuaded Owen to attend the FA's School of Excellence at Lilleshall 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 and u-16s. Owen also scored prolifically as he rose rapidly through the Anfield youth ranks.
Throughout this time, Owen had continued his studies and achieved ten GCSEs. Despite the academic success, Owen was unshakeable, his future was a professional football career with the Liverpool youth team.
Social Network
Michael Owen is quite active on social media platforms, including Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. With millions of followers, he uses these platforms to engage with fans, share personal moments, promote his business interests, and provide his insights on current football events. His presence on social media plays a significant role in maintaining his public persona and connecting with the next generation of football fans.
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 1–0 Champions League victory over Dynamo Kyiv. A few days later, he scored his first La Liga goal in a 1–0 victory over Valencia.
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 4–2 El Clásico win over Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
Owen ended the 2004–05 season with 13 goals in La 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 and Júlio 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.
Education
Owen attended the Deeside College, where he balanced school life with his burgeoning football career. Though he was focused primarily on sports from a young age, Owen's dedication to education allowed him to develop a well-rounded character, and he often emphasizes the importance of discipline and hard work to his children and fans alike.
In summary, Michael Owen remains a fascinating figure in the world of sports, exhibiting a blend of talent, intelligence, and business savvy. As he continues to evolve in 2025, fans and followers remain captivated by his journey from a young football protégé to a respected commentator and entrepreneur.
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 smashed Ian 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 also broke Gary Speed's appearance record having played in all three seasons for the 11-year-olds since he was eight. Owen turned out for the youth team of Mold Alexandra, 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.
Owen scored on his debut for Mold Alexandra, a 2–0 victory over local rivals Bagillt. He went on to score 34 goals in 24 games in his first season with Mold Alexandra. After leaving Deeside, Owen attended Hawarden High School, where he also played for the school team.
