Michael Owen broke down in tears when he found out his son had a condition that could not be cured, ending his hopes of playing football.
Michael Owen got very emotional when he found out his son, James, has an eye condition that can’t be cured, ending his dream of becoming a pro footballer.
Michael Owen is known as one of England’s greatest strikers. During his amazing career at clubs like Liverpool, Newcastle United, Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Stoke City, he scored 223 goals in 483 games. At 22, he became the last English player to win the Ballon d’Or in 2001 while playing for Liverpool, having also won the UEFA Cup, FA Cup, and League Cup.
So, it’s no surprise that James wanted to follow his dad’s path into football. But sadly, at just eight years old, James was diagnosed with Stargardt disease — a rare inherited eye disorder that causes fatty deposits to build up in the center of the retina. This leads to losing central vision over time. Now 20, James is considered legally blind and can only see using his side vision.
In their new reality show, ‘Meet The Owens,’ coming soon on Amazon Prime Video, Michael and James share their thoughts about James’s condition. James said, “Growing up has been tough. It makes it hard for me to look straight at people. Sometimes folks think I’m being rude because I don’t keep eye contact, but I’m actually trying to see them as clearly as I can.”
The family first noticed something was wrong when James’s teacher said he was having trouble seeing the board at school. After tests, they found out it was Stargardt disease, which affects about one in 10,000 people worldwide.
Michael remembers when he learned about the diagnosis. “I stopped the car a few times and just cried, wondering what James’s life would be like,” he said. “I want him to stay positive and not feel sorry for himself. What I love most about James is his ability to laugh at himself—it’s those little things that bring us close.”
Looking ahead, Michael hopes James will work with him at Manor House Stables, a big racing and breeding farm they run near Chester. “I think James could be a real help here,” Michael said. “But he’s got to earn it; it’s not a charity.”
This is a different dream than James had before his diagnosis. He admitted, “I always wanted to be a footballer like my dad and have a great career. Realizing it can’t happen was really hard. I used to come home from school crying because I thought life was unfair.”
The six-part docuseries ‘Meet The Owens’ follows a year in the life of Michael, his wife Louise, and their four children—Gemma, James, Emily, and Jessica—as they balance running the horse racing business with the ups and downs of family life.