Former England and Liverpool striker Michael Owen has opened up about his son James's rare eye disorder, Stargardt disease, describing the diagnosis as a "ticking time bomb" in his new Amazon Prime documentary series 'Meet the Owens'.
James, 20, has Stargardt, an inherited condition that causes progressive central vision loss, typically beginning in childhood or adolescence. The disease can lead to blurry, hazy, or distorted vision.
Owen's emotional reaction to diagnosis
In the series, which premieres on Amazon this week, Owen admits to breaking down in tears upon learning of his son's condition. The show offers an insight into the private lives of Owen, his wife Louise, and their four children: Gemma, James, Emily, and Jessica.
"When he first got diagnosed, I remember stopping in the car, three or four times, and just bursting out crying, thinking, 'What's his life going to be like?'" Owen says in the show. "I just wanted him to not feel sorry for himself, wanted him to have a positive outlook on life."
James describes the condition as "like a ticking timebomb," adding that he could go fully blind in the future. Owen also touches on the pain and guilt he feels about James being unable to follow him into football due to his health issues.
Guilt and the dream of football
"Most people who play football have the dream of their son following in their footsteps. That's what my dad had with me," Owen says. "I wanted James to be a footballer when he was really young but obviously that dream was dashed quite early."
"We made James, and I don't think I'd be normal if I didn't put myself in the mirror and think, 'It's down to us that he's got this eye condition' so I did feel guilty for a little while and could say I still feel guilty now, but you look at the positives with him and the guilt sort of evaporates."
Horse racing passion and business struggles
Away from family, the documentary gives fans an unfiltered look at Owen's life, particularly his passion for Manor House Stables, where he and his staff train and race horses. Owen says he has put "£13million to £14million" into the stables as he aims to make it one of the most successful in the industry.
However, the former forward acknowledges the financial challenges of the business, admitting at one point that he "can't keep haemorrhaging" money. In one scene, he tells wife Louise: "So we bought three horses today.....£273,000 we spent. Over a quarter of a million. Let's just hang off on that new kitchen you wanted?"
Defending his reputation
Owen also addresses his reputation for being, as he says in the show, "a boring p***k," adding: "Even my kids say, 'Dad, everyone sees you as dead boring.'" He hits out at those who have mocked some of his more viral moments, including an anecdote he shared on Simon Jordan's 'Up Front' podcast in December 2023 about throwing an apple core at a bin as a child.
"That's cool," Owen says in the documentary. "Because the vast majority of people who laughed at it just don't get it and that's why they're b****y muppets. Probably still living in their mum and dad's house at 40 years of age, who's a***d?"
