Michael Owen has said he would “swap eyes” with his teenage son in a heartbeat if it was possible to make him see again and to “take [his] pain away”.
The Liverpool legend spoke openly alongside his 17-year-old son James who was diagnosed with Stargardt disease – a degenerative eye condition – when he was only eight.
Owen said, as a parent, the initial diagnosis had come as a “hammer blow” and admitted there had been a “sad time” having to think about James’s future.
“Will he be able to drive? Will he be able to work? What jobs will there be for him? These things run through your mind,” Owen said on a BBC podcast.
He added that he would “pay every cent” and “walk the other end of the world” for his son’s condition to go away, as James said it would be a “no brainer” if he could get his eyes “fixed”.
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Stargardt, an inherited eye condition which causes blurriness in the central part of the eye, is currently incurable, though researchers are studying gene and drug therapies to combat it.
James said he struggled to see detail, particularly different colours and lights, and while his peripheral vision was good, he acknowledged this could also deteriorate over time.
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However, he has not let the condition take over his life. “When people meet me they wouldn’t think I have a visual impairment… It’s something I live with to be honest,” James said.
His father confirmed how James had remained positive over recent years, saying that out of his four children he was least worried about James’s future.
Owen said: “He’s mentally strong and positive about things, and has a great mindset. His condition won’t stop him.”
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Football runs through the Owen family, with Michael, 44, playing for the likes of Real Madrid, Newcastle United, Manchester United and representing England at multiple World Cups. James’s grandfather Terry Owen was a striker for Everton and Chester.
James said he would have liked to become a footballer, especially with inspirations all around him, but conceded this was not possible.
The teenager said he played football for a while and was “a decent player” until the pitches became bigger and the game became more fast paced.
He temporarily played partially sighted futsal for an upcoming documentary – not to be confused with blind football, as players have some level of sight.
The pitch is on a smaller scale compared to the regular game, which was said to be “perfect” for James, with a heavier ball and smaller goals, which could be manned by a fully sighted keeper.
James said, laughing: “I know there was some point [while playing] where I got megged [ball through the legs] and scored an own goal from it. It was not a great moment.”
For now, James has stepped back from futsal and wishes to “focus on business” instead, hoping to be a business owner in the future.
Owen said jokingly: “When I retire from work in 30 years or something, he’ll probably take over the “family empire”.
