Michael Owen burst out crying with son's heartbreaking diagnosis 'a ticking time bomb'

Former England hero Michael Owen has opened up on his son’s “ticking time bomb” eye condition. Michael’s son, James, 20, has Stargardt, which is a rare eye disorder.

The disease is inherited and causes progressive central vision loss. This usually begins in childhood or adolescence and can lead to blurry, hazy, or distorted vision.

Michael, who played for Liverpool, Newcastle and Manchester United in the Premier League, admits to breaking down in tears upon learning that his son had Stargardt in his new reality series, ‘Meet the Owens’, which premieres on Amazon this week. The show gives insight into the private lives of Michael, his wife Louise, and their four children, Gemma, James, Emily, and Jessica.

Talking in the show, the Liverpool icon says: “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?’ I just wanted him to not feel sorry for himself, wanted him to have a positive outlook on life.”

James states that the condition is “like a ticking timebomb,” adding that he could go fully blind in the future. Michael also touches upon the pain and guilt he feels about James being unable to follow him into football, due to his health issues.

He adds: "Most people who play football have the dream of their son following in their footsteps. That’s what my dad had with me. 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."

Away from his family, Meet the Owens gives fans an unfiltered insight into Michael himself. Ultimately, his great passion is Manor House Stables, where he and his staff train and race horses.

In the show, Owen says he has put “£13million to £14million” into the stables as he looks to make it one of the most successful in the industry.

However, the ex-forward knows the pitfalls of the business and at one point admits 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?”

Michael also discusses 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.”

However, he hits out at those who have made fun of some of his more viral moments in the past. Speaking to Simon Jordan on the latter’s Up Front podcast in December 2023, Owen discussed how competitive he was from an early age.

On that podcast he said: “Everything was a challenge. I’d eat an apple watching the TV at night and the bin would be by the TV about six metres away. And I had the bravery to [throw the apple] and miss and for there to be a stain on the wallpaper. My mum would absolutely scream at me and send me upstairs."

Sky's Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle includes at least 215 live Premier League clashes across the 2026/27 season, with more than 1,500 games from the EFL and beyond, plus F1, golf and darts.

Michael has defended himself on the new Amazon show after being widely mocked for the slightly surreal anecdote.

"That’s cool,” he begins. “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?”