Former England international and Ballon d’Or winner, Michael Owen, reflects on his huge footballing success and post-retirement ventures in a new interview with leading business and property podcast, Mennie Talks.
Hosted by serial investor, entrepreneur and property developer, Reece Mennie, the podcast episode explores Michael’s early talent and ability, his upbringing, and the subsequent success he experienced at a young age.
Considering his early career, Michael believes a combination of innate ability and family passion led to his success: “I think you’re born with something. You’re born with a natural balance and a natural coordination…I was born with a sporty body, let’s say. After that I would have to give a lot of credit to my parents.” Growing up with two older brothers and a professional footballer father, Michael was born into a love of football and a drive to compete and improve.
Despite being on the radar of footballing legends such as Sir Alex Ferguson from a young age, Michael never felt under pressure, and was excited to perform: “Put a billion people in front of me, this is an art I’ve honed forever, since I could walk. I was born to be a footballer”. It’s this passion that he says aspiring footballers need to lean into: “You have to live and breathe it, you have to love it. You have to practice it, but it can never feel like practice”. Michael believes that a healthy lifestyle and discipline help, but a love for the game is non-negotiable.
Following a hamstring injury at the age of 19, Michael felt his ability began to decline despite winning the Ballon d’Or at 22, and goes onto discuss how this gradual process impacted him and the mental hurdles he had to face: “Your instinct is telling you one thing, but a split second later your reality and what’s happening in your brain is telling you another. And that’s quite an annoying, or painful, or depressing thing to conquer.”
Looking at how the game has evolved since his retirement, Michael argues football is now an “athlete’s game” and that speed is considered above skill. Players must keep up with the fast-paced nature of the game, but Michael questions whether this sacrifices the depth of the team.
Michael now runs Manor House Stables, one of the best horse racing facilities in the country, and is currently training 145 horses. His children have also become more involved in the business as they have grown, and Michael says growing the stables is at the core of everything he does.
Reflecting on his career to date, the former footballer argues he’s been lucky to experience the things he has: “What I’ve been very lucky with in my life is that I’ve done what I wanted to do. I always dreamt of being a footballer, that then fortunately enabled me to have my next dream which was having the racing stables”.
Michael argues that creating a sense of excitement to start each day and get to work is crucial: “That’s the key to life – if you enjoy what you’re doing then you’ll live a happy life.”
Dedicated to hosting in-depth discussions with high performing individuals in sport, business and property, this latest episode of Mennie Talks featuring Michael Owen is now live via Apple, Spotify and YouTube.
https://www.reece-mennie.com/mennie-talks