Michael Owen burst into tears after learning of son's incurable condition which ended footballing dream
Michael Owen burst into tears after learning his son, James, had an incurable eye condition that ended his dreams of becoming a professional footballer.
Owen is widely regarded as one of England's greatest ever strikers.
Across an illustrious career at Liverpool, Newcastle United, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Stoke City, Owen scored 223 goals in 483 appearances.
The 46-year-old is also the last Englishman to win the Ballon d'Or, doing so in 2001 at Liverpool — UEFA Cup, FA Cup, and League Cup — at the age of 22.
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Therefore, after catching the latter stages of his career, it's not a surprise that Owen's son, James, wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and become a footballer.
Unfortunately, his dreams of a career in professional sport were ended at the age of eight after he was diagnosed with Stargardt disease – a rare, inherited eye disorder that happens when fatty waste deposits build up on the central part of the retina.
As the condition progresses, central vision is lost, and now the 20-year-old is deemed to be clinically blind and is only able to see in his peripheral vision.
On their upcoming reality series 'Meet The Owens', which will be aired on Amazon Prime Video next week, the pair sat down separately to discuss the condition.
"Obviously it's been tough growing up. It makes it hard for me to look straight," James admitted.
"People often think I'm rude for not keeping eye contact; I'm actually looking at them in the clearest way I possibly can."
The family first became aware of the issue when one of his primary school teachers flagged that she thought James was having trouble seeing the board in class.
From there, extensive testing revealed it was Stargardt disease, which affects roughly one in every 10,000 people globally.
Recalling the moment he found out about his son's diagnosis, Owen said: "When he first got diagnosed, I remember stopping in the car about three or four times and just bursting out crying, thinking, what's his life going to be like?
"I wanted him to not feel sorry for himself, have a positive outlook on life.
"James's ability to laugh at himself is the most endearing thing in my world, just the little things like that brings us incredibly close together."
Revealing his plans for the future, Michael said he wants James to work with him at Manor House Stables, a large racing and breeding yard he co-owns near Chester.
"I'd love that - I think he's got all the hallmarks of being an asset to this place,' Michael shared. "But he's got to add to it; it's not a charity."
It's a different path that James envisaged before he was diagnosed with the condition, and he admitted: "It was my dream to follow my dad's footsteps and be a footballer and have a really great career.
"To have that realisation it's not possible, it kills you. It used to break my heart coming back every day from school, I just used to cry and think life was unfair."
'Meet The Owens', a six-part docuseries, follows a year in the life of Michael, his wife Louise, and their four children Gemma, James, Emily and Jessica, as they juggle a horse racing business while contending with a chaotic home life.
Topics: Michael Owen, Football
Thomas Griffin