About

Michael Owen has grown to become a phenomenal striker for the English National team and Newastle United. Being awarded the Ballon d’or, the best player in Europe in 2000, for his efforts with Liverpool, Owen has become an icon. Born in Chester England, son of former Premier League player Terry Owen, Michael began playing with the Liverpool Youth team. After his advancement onto England’s A Team, Owen was propelled into international stardom with a “wonder goal” for England in a 1998 World Cup match against Argentina. He also became a celebrity, becoming BBC Sports Personality of the Year, with his good looks, charm and soccer skill. Since then Owen has suffered many injuries but continues to leave viewers in awe. With over 100 goals scored for his first team, Liverpool, Owen continues to play for England with Newcastle, after a short stint with Real Madrid. He is married to Louise Bonsall and has three kids, lives in North Wales and he currently plays with Newcastle United.

Background

Michael Owen was born in Chester on December 14, 1979. He was brought up in the city of Hawarden in the Welsch County. He grew up with two sisters Karen and Lindsay and brothers Terry and Owen. Owen was attracted to football as a young child, much due to his superstar soccer father, Terry Owen. His father, a former player for Everton, Bradford City and Chester, did not pressure him to play soccer, Michael simply loved the game. Although his father encouraged him to box, at Hawarden Boxing Club, the field was calling his name. He put his cleats on and began playing competitive ball with Mold Alexandra’s U10 youth team, at only seven years old. His first season proved a beginning to a global talent, at seven, playing with 10 year olds, he scored 34 goals in 24 games. He was chosen for Deeside Schools a huge privilege. He broke all scoring records in his debut year. His skill became apparent and youth clubs came calling. Impressed by a match where they watched him score 6 goals, Manchester United wanted the young lad, but FA travel restrictions left Owen at home. After interest in Arsenal and Everton, he found a home in the youth club at Liverpool. The team was welcoming, giving Owen soccer cleats and bringing his family to the games. He was chosen to attend the FA’s school of excellence at Lilleshall. Here he played with future fellow FA players, Jon Harley and Wes Ball. He also won the FA Youth Cup in 1996 scoring a hat trick against defending champions Manchester United. By the end of December 1996 after 6 years with the youth team, Owen signed to Liverpool’s Senior Team in on his seventeenth birthday after his graduation from Lilleshall.

Club Football

Liverpool F.C. He played his first game with the senior team in May of 1997 against Wimbeldon. Here his debut was sensational, as he scored a goal. Due to his fellow teammate Robbie Fowler’s injury, Roy Evans, Liverpool’s manager placed Owen on the first string. He burst into action, earning his place in the starting line up scoring against Blackburn. In the UEFA cup of 1999 he also scored against Celtic. His performances with Liverpool were so steller the England National gained interest very fast. His first season with the club was filled with awards scoring 18 goals in 36 matches and winning the Golden Boot award, and the PFA Young Player award. In his second year, fresh from 1998 the World Cup, he once again proved his skill, receiving the Golden Boot for the second time and scoring 18 league goals. 3 of these 18 goals were part of a hat trick run against Newcastle United. His third year with the club, proved to be a more difficult one, much due to a coach change, bringing Grard Houllier to the team. The roster had also changed, with three of Liverpool’s players leaving the team. Not to mention, Owen had numerous hamstring injuries and it was tough for him to build his fitness back up. He had to prove he could withhold a place on the starting line up. The team failed to qualify for the Champions League that year but Owen did perform at his best during that season, scoring 11 goals. The 2000/2001 season proved to be one of great improvement for Owen and his club. His injuries were no longer straining him, he helped in the Club’s celebratory victories against Manchester and a blow out 4-0 win against Arsenal. This season Owen scored 19 goals in the 29 season matches. This made him the top scorer for the club every year since he had arrived in 1997. The team went to the finals of the Worthington Cup that year, unfortunately Owen did not start as other strikers were chosen as the right fit for the match. The UEFA Cup that year proved to be a trophy point for Liverpool. With a first round victory against AS Roma, where Owen scored two goals, and a second leg victory against Barcelona Liverpool headed to the finals. The final match against Alaves took the team into over time where a 5th goal ended the match. Liverpool took the UEFA Cup trophy, playing an exciting and skilled tournament. During the FA Cup, Owen became the hero of the final match against Arsenal. Down a goal in the 75th minute, Owen had no choice but to respond. He scored a great goal, based from a flick, to tie the match, but then with just a few minutes left in the match, he used his speed to receive a pass from Patrick Berger, that he placed in perfect fashion into the net. Liverpool had won their sixth FA Cup ever. In 2002-2003 Season, Owen scored an insane amount of goals, 28. The season was going well and Liverpool’s line up of strikers was epic, Owen, Diouf, Emile Heskey and Milan Baros. Yet for some reason their success in the UEFA Champions League crashed. Owen did score his 100th goal for Liverpool that year. It was in the 2003-2004 season where Owen was riding the rollercoaster. He broke Ian Rush’s record for most Liverpool goals in Europe but also injuried his foot in a match against Arsenal in October. The season left the club out of major tournaments and Arsenal was ahead in the league by 30 points. Soon manager Grard Houllier left Liverpool, with Micheal Owen to follow. In August 2004, with one year left in his contract, Owen was officially sold to Real Madrid for €12 million and Spanish Player Nunez. Real Madrid Real Madrid was a powerhouse of great skill and players. Owen did not start many games, with players like Zidane, Ronaldo, Figo and fellow Englishman Beckham playing. But Owen changed the course when he played in the UEFA Champions League, scoring a goal for Madrid. With this his first goal in La Liga took place, soon enough, in Owen fashion, he was a name on the starting line up. He scored 13 goals that season, most ever for goals to minutes played ratio, one of these goals sent Madrid partying in the streets. In a match against rivals, F.C. Barcelona Owen scored a goal in the clinch of time that sent the stadium roaring. In the summer of 2005, Owen’s growing success was placed on hold as he would have to fight the two new additions to Madrid, Julio Baptista and Robinho, for the starting striker position. Owen wanted league play before the world cup that summer, it seemed he might be returning home. "I need to be playing regularly in World Cup year, but I have really enjoyed being part of the Real Madrid team." It was speculated Liverpool would re-sign Owen, but he did not come cheap. Although many Premier teams were interested, Newcastle United executed the transfer of a record £16 million and in August 2005 signed him to a 4 year contract. Owen would now wear the Black and White strips of Newcastle United, although many speculated he wanted to return to his previous team, Liverpool.

Newcastle United Owen’s return back to England was not simply a transfer, as England they were bringing their star striker home. Over 20,000 fans wearing black and white packed in to St. James Park to see him introduced as the newest Newcastle player, wearing his national number of 10. September 10, 2005 St. James Park was filled to watch Owen in his first match against Fulham. In his second match against Blackburn, he scored his first Newcastle goal. In December, Newcastle new they had made a good choice with Owen, as he scored a hat trick against West Ham, with quick and superbly placed goals. His goal count was now 7 in only 10 games. Injury again halted Owen from training and gameplay. In a collision with Paul Robinson the Tottenham goalkeeper, he fractured a metatarsal in his right foot. This injury required surgery that left Owen on the bench for the remainder of the season. He did have a quick stunt in one of the last games of the season against Birmingham. Further a damaged ligament in his right knee, left Owen in recovery for almost a year. In February 2007 he began once again training with Newcastle. By April 2007 he was ready for action and participated in a friendly against Gretna. Here Newcastle won 4-1, scoring in the first half and setting up an assist. Owen played about an hour of the match. On April 30, 2007 with over a year of being unable to start for Newcastle, he started against Reading. Although they were not victorious he did play a full 90 minutes. Just a few weeks later on May 13, after an hour of playing time against Watford he suffered a concussion due to a collision and had to be stretchered off. After some controversy with Freddy Shepard, Newcastle’s Chairman many believed Owen’s would leave Newcastle for the minimum price of £9million at the end of 2006-07. Shepard reacted angrily to the possibility of Owen transferring, as a result of a release clause held in his contract. With comments that he better stay loyal, and others claiming he would take Owen back to Liverpool himself, Shepard had been displaying mixed emotions. Nonetheless, Owen remained with Newcastle. He then scored his 8th goal for the club in August, but a thigh injury would leave him out for the beginning of the Premiership. On August 29, 2007 he was able to score and again in a match a few days later against Wigan, where his goal won the game. Late September proved to be yet another visit with the doctor as Owen need a double hernia operation. Within a month he was back on the field and was able to score as a sub against Everton. After a three month goal drought, he was able to score in the 3rd round of the FA Cup. Kevin Keegan the club’s manager gave Owen the captain band.

International Football

England National Team Owen first took a place in an International match with England in February 11, 1998 , at the young age of 18. After playing with the Youth and Under 21 squads, he made his debut with the A team in a friendly against Chile. In a friendly against Morocco, Owen scored a goal, proving he may be a valuable part of the English squad. In a first round match of the FIFA World Cup 1998, against Tunisia he played for the last six minutes. In the next match against Romania, Owen came in to a 1-0 match. His team needed a goal, with a great cross by Alan Shearer, Owen put the ball in the net to tie up the match. Although Romania took the game 2-1, Owen earned a starting position in International play. It was in the second round of the 1998 World Cup, that Owen positioned himself as a vital striker, and a star. In a match against Argentina, his efforts in attempting to drill by the defense gained his team a penalty kick where fellow English player, Shearer put the ball in. It was then that the magic of Owen came to life, with an assist from David Beckham, Owen slid past two defenders and shot a bomb in the top corner. It became the wonder goal of the tournament. But sadly, Argentina scored to equalize the game, and Owen had to play a defensive game at right midfield after Beckham was sent off. The game ended in penalties. Owen swiftly placed his ball in, but after two of his fellow teammates, Ince and Batty missed, Argentina moved ahead, and England left the tournament. Owen blew up, he became a recognizable world star and an idol in England. He was the youngest player of the 20th Century to represent England as well as score a goal for his country. He was a key player in Euro 2000 and 2004, as well as the 2002 World Cup. He was able to net goals in all those tournaments, giving him the prestige of being the only English player to score in all four major soccer events. He played in his 3rd world cup in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Before the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Owen was honoured with the position of captain in an April friendly of Paraguay, due to David Beckham’s injury. He normally takes the captain position when the regular captain is unavailable. Before the 2006 FIFA World Cup, he joined the England National B Team, in order to regain his fitness after his leg injury. Here he captained the team and worked his body back in to playing shape. The 2006 World Cup, began with Owen playing in the three first round matches. He was unable score for England, and his time was cut short in the tournament when he was injured again in a match against Sweden. Within the first minute of the game he tore a ligament and was carried off, unable to finish the tournament. The next year for Owen was one of sitting along the sidelines. With reconstructive surgery taking place in September 2006, Owen would not return to play until April 2007. The England National Team would have to play without him in the Euro 2008 qualifying matches. He did join in matches against Brazil and Estonia in after missing 6 qualifiers. It was here that his confidence was evident. He scored a goal in the match against Estonia, giving him the most goals ever scored for England in competitive International play. Owen has proven himself as a necessity to his national team, acting as captain in seven matches and playing in 88. He is only fourth in the list of top scorers, in all of England’s history (as of December 2007).

International Goals

Awards and Honours

Liverpool F.C.

1995-1996 FA Youth Cup Champions 2000-2001 League Cup Champions 2000-2001 FA Cup Champions 2000-2001 UEFA Cup Champions 2001-2002 FA Premier League Runner Up 2001-2002 European Super Cup Champions 2001-2002 Charity Shield 2002-2003 Charity Shield 2002-2003 League Cup Champions 2002-2003 100th Club Goal

Real Madrid

2004-2005 La Liga Runner Up

Personal Honours

1998 PFA Young Player of the Year 1998 Premier League 1998 Top Scorer Premier League 18 Goals 1998 BBC Sports Personality of the Year 1999 Premier League Top Scorer 18 goals 2001 Ballon d’or

Personal Awards

Career Statistics

M = Matches, G = Goals, A = Assists

Personal Info

Owen’s idol while a young boy was Gary Lineker, an Everton star, who Owen always mimicked while playing as a child. In 1998, after the height of Owen’s play in the world cup he was chosen as the BBC Personality of the Year. A huge huge honor boosting him to superstardom. Owen, is quite generous with his money and bought an entire street for his family nearby his old street. He also owns many many cars as well as a helicopter. When he returned to Newcastle, he would take a helicopter everyday to the training facility. He is training to become a pilot. That hobby was eventually halted when he was banned due to excessive insurance premiums. Owen loves horse racing, his wife actually owns a few horses. He has made his mark on television through many advertisements as well as a cameo as himself in BBC One, on a children’s program. He is also the host to one of the two covers for the game, Pro Evolution Soccer 2008. He is known for his charming good looks, gaining him many female fans. Wembley Stadium was recreated after the old stadium was closed in 2000, and Owen became the first player to score international goals in the old and new stadiums. Owen has never gone more than four international matches without booting a ball into the net for his country.

Wife / Girlfriend

Louise Bonsall
Owen met Bonsall long ago in 1984 while in primary school. Dating since that point, they were engaged Valentines day, Feb 14, 2004 and married a year later on June 24, 2005. The couple were married in Chester, Cheshire in a registry office in everyday clothing and the next day followed with the huge reception at their home. The couple’s home is a great estate located in Lower Sought Manor in Flintshire part of North Wales. This is where they welcomed their daughter Gemma Rose in May 2003 and their son James Michael in February 2006. October 2007 brought them their third child Emily May.

Sponsors

UMBRO Tissot Watches Burton Menswear

Important Links

References

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