SHATTERED DREAMS OF BEING LIKE DAD
A rare eye condition ended Michael Owen’s son’s hope of following in his father’s famous footsteps... but he has found a new way to enjoy a game they both love
JAMES OWEN dreamed of following in his famous father’s footsteps, even though few could match his dad’s killer instinct in front of goal.
Michael had played 10 years of top-level football by the time James was born in February 2006. That summer the striker went to the World Cup, he then played two more years for England and was at Manchester United up until James was six, sparking a future desire in his son.
James was one of the best players in his age-group teams, with hopes of fulfilling his dream of keeping the family business going by becoming a professional.
But that hope ended with a diagnosis of Stargardt disease, a condition that affects the eyes’ central detailed vision, and made a career in football impossible.
However, now 17, James has a new purpose in the game after spending time around the England partiallysighted men’s football team.
“I got diagnosed when I was quite young, so I can’t really remember it all because I was pretty much straight on to football, but I used to play all the time,” James said.
“When I got diagnosed that was hard, but I didn’t stop straight away.
“I kept playing, but Stargardt’s is a deterioration, so after a while it just got to the point where I knew I couldn’t make a career out of it and I was starting to... I wouldn’t say get worse but everyone (else) was getting better.
“I kind of lost enjoyment out of it from that point of view. I used to play quite often but I don’t play any more.
“I was still one of the best players. I don’t think my eyesight really held me back in the teams I used to play for, but it did hold me back to the point where it would be an option to go professional.
“I wanted to go professional and it was frustrating to a point where over a while it just kind of lost the fun.
“I still love to play football with my mates here and there, and if I could go back I probably would have kept playing for a year or two more, but at the time I was frustrated and it was a bit draining.”
Dad Michael learned about partially-sighted football as part of his documentary ‘Football is for Everyone’.
The game is played on futsal pitches, with four partially-sighted outfielders joined by a sighted goalkeeper, with the format helping those who struggle with certain colours and with sight over longer distances.
Michael said: “I was pleasantly surprised by the level of ability of these players.
“A very high standard that I didn’t expect, and nor did James for that matter.
“He’s had such a gap in his career in many ways.
“He’s not played football properly for four or five years, so I thought it was always going to be pie in the sky if you thought James was going to all of a sudden play with the England team and be the best player in the group and play the game for ever more.
“But what it has made him realise is that football is there for everyone.
“There’s lots of things out there that people don’t realise, to make it more accessible for everybody, and James is keen to spread the word for other people in his situation.”
■■‘Football is for Everyone’ starring Michael and James Owen premieres on TNT Sports 1 at 11pm on January
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‘When my eyesight was diagnosed it was hard but I didn’t stop playing straight away’