Michael Owen

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Owen was born in Chester, Cheshire, on 14 December 1979 as the fourth child of Jeanette and Terry Owen. His father is a former professional footballer. Owen was introduced to football at age seven by his father. A boyhood Everton fan, he attended Rector Drew Primary School in Hawarden, Flintshire, Wales. At eight, he 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. Owen also broke Gary Speed's appearance record having played in all three seasons for the 11-year-olds since he was eight. He turned out for the youth team of Mold Alexandra, playing with the under-10s at age eight. He scored on his debut for Mold Alexandra and went on to score 34 goals in 24 games in his first season. After leaving Deeside, Owen attended Hawarden High School. At age 12, he signed with the Liverpool youth team. The club persuaded him to attend the FA's School of Excellence at Lilleshall at age 14. He achieved ten GCSEs. In the 1995–96 season, Owen played for Liverpool's youth team and scored a hat-trick against FA Youth Cup holders Manchester United in the quarter-finals, another hat-trick in the semi against Crystal Palace, and scored in the final against West Ham United as Liverpool won the FA Youth Cup for the first time.

In Their Own Story

On 6 May 1997, at Selhurst Park, Michael Owen entered the pitch as a substitute in the second half against Wimbledon. Liverpool were chasing a title but had faltered; Owen's arrival breathed new life into the match. Although he could not salvage a win, his performance was described by The Liverpool Echo as a debut 'marked in the grand manner.' The following year, he replaced Robbie Fowler and led the attack with 18 goals, sharing the Golden Boot. His most celebrated individual moment occurred at the 1998 FIFA World Cup against Argentina, where he ran from the halfway line to score a goal that brought him national and international prominence. By 2001, he had scored two crucial late goals in the FA Cup final, helping Liverpool secure a treble of trophies.

Reader's Guide

Owen celebrated his 17th birthday by signing a professional contract with Liverpool. He scored on his Liverpool debut against Wimbledon on 6 May 1997, becoming the club's youngest goalscorer at 17 years, 143 days. In his first full Premier League season, he finished as joint top scorer with 18 goals, sharing the Premier League Golden Boot. He repeated this the following year. In 2001, Liverpool won a cup treble of the UEFA Cup, FA Cup (with Owen scoring two late goals in the final) and Football League Cup. He scored 118 goals in 216 Premier League appearances for Liverpool and 158 goals in 297 total appearances. After Liverpool fell behind their title rivals under Gérard Houllier's final two seasons, Owen moved to Real Madrid for £8 million in summer 2004. He scored 13 goals in La Liga before returning to England the following season, joining Newcastle United for £16.8 million. After a promising start to 2005–06, injuries largely ruled him out over the next 18 months. After his return, he became team captain and was top scorer for 2007–08. Newcastle were relegated in 2008–09 and Owen moved to Manchester United as a free agent. He spent three years there before joining Stoke City in September 2012. He announced his retirement on 19 March 2013. Internationally, Owen first played for the senior England team in 1998, becoming England's youngest player and youngest goal scorer at the time. He scored at the 1998 World Cup, Euro 2000, the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004. He was the first player to have scored in four consecutive major tournaments for England. He played at the 2006 World Cup but suffered an injury that took a year to recover from. He made 89 appearances for England, scoring 40 goals, of which 26 were in competitive matches, a record for England at the time of his retirement.

Did You Know?

• Owen is one of ten players to have scored 150 or more goals in the Premier League.
• He is the youngest player to have reached 100 goals in the Premier League.
• Owen scored on his Premier League debut in May 1997, becoming Liverpool's youngest goalscorer at 17 years, 143 days.
• He broke Ian Rush's record for the Deeside Area Primary School's Under-11 team by scoring 97 goals in a single season at age ten.