A promising young player
James Owen, born in February 2006, grew up hoping to follow his father into professional football and showed early promise as a young player.
Diagnosis and condition
James was diagnosed with Stargardt disease at around age eight — a rare, inherited condition that causes progressive damage to the retina and a loss of central vision. Michael Owen has said his son is now clinically without central sight, meaning he cannot see a ball until it is only a few yards away, ending any hope of a playing career.
Speaking out publicly
For years, Owen chose not to discuss James's condition publicly. He later spoke candidly about it, saying he would "pay every cent" he has to restore his son's sight and that he would swap eyes with James if he could. Father and son later fronted a documentary, Football Is for Everyone, about James's experience of sight loss.
Playing football differently
Rather than stepping away from the game entirely, James has trained with England's partially sighted futsal squad, a version of football adapted for visually impaired players, continuing to be involved in the sport in a different way.