Louise Owen, wife of former footballer Michael Owen, has stated that her personal difficulties during their time in Madrid were the primary reason for his brief tenure at Real Madrid. Michael Owen joined the Spanish club in 2004 after eight years with Liverpool.
In a new Prime Video series, "Meet The Owens," Louise Owen shared her "guilt" over the decision, explaining that the move to a foreign country with their then one-year-old daughter, Gemma, was "testing" for her. She described feeling "lonely" without her support network and struggled as Michael was often away with the team.
"Having your first child then moving to a foreign country where you don't have your support network - it was so lonely," Louise Owen said. "I didn't even have Michael, he was away half of the week. Michael had to try and embed himself in a new team and get to know everybody and I was kind of stuck in this hotel with a young baby by myself."
Michael Owen acknowledged that while he was enjoying his time playing for Real Madrid and bonding with teammates like David Beckham, Luís Figo, and Ronaldo, he was aware of his wife's unhappiness. He stated, "I was loving it. I was scoring goals and having a great time and enjoying it. But in the back of my mind constantly I knew my wife was hating it."
He recalled recognizing that Louise's distress meant there was "no coming back from that" and that she would not have stayed if he had decided to remain with the club for another year. "She didn't say the words, 'I'm going, you can stay here but you'll be on your own.' She didn't need to say them. And obviously with a young family that's the last thing I wanted," Michael Owen explained.
Louise Owen reflected on the pressure Michael felt due to her unhappiness, suggesting it hastened the end of his time in Madrid. "He felt pressure from me being unhappy and that probably brought that chapter to a close earlier than it might if I hadn't been there. I feel a bit of guilt. If he had been completely selfish about his career would he have made that decision to come back when he did? I don't know."
Michael and Louise Owen have been together for 28 years and married in 2005. They met in primary school in Flintshire, Wales, and began dating at age 17. In addition to Gemma, they have three other children: James, Emily, and Jessica. "Meet The Owens" follows the family as they navigate their horse racing business and home life. The series is set to stream on Prime Video starting August 28, 2026.