Michael Owen opens up on son's devastating diagnosis that cost him football career

Former Liverpool forward Michael Owen has opened up on the hardships of his son's clinical eye condition - admitting for years he purposely avoided conversation around the teenager's diagnosis.

James Owen, 17, is starring in a TNT Sports documentary alongside side Owen Snr in the hope of raising awareness about the life of those who have lost full sight and provides a behind the seasons look at England's Partially Sighted Fustal Team ahead of the 2023 IBSA World Games.

Speaking to the Mail Online, Owen Snr admitted he had hopes his son would one day follow in his footsteps of making the grade as a Premier League footballer before being diagnosed with Stargardt - a condition that prohibits the retina's ability to sharpen central vision.

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"It's probably the worst question, not that I ever show it or say it to anybody. You find yourself either having to make an excuse or say he's not interested and people look at you and say 'He's not interested in football?' Then you have to explain everything and you end up in a conversation you don't really want to have with anybody," said Owen, who was a product of Liverpool's academy in the 1990s.

"When someone comes up to you in the pub and says 'Does your son play?' you just want to change the subject. That's probably been the hardest thing over the years. James probably wasn't enjoying football as much as he should have been because he wasn't as good as he should have been.

"When he was very young and his eyes were probably slightly better than they are now and the pitches were smaller and everything was a lot