Latest news with #MichaelOwen
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Lyari Academy to compete in Norway
The young players of Lyari Academy pose for a picture during their preparations for debut at Norway Cup. Photo courtesy: PFL The Pakistan Football League (PFL) has stepped forward to support Liyari Football Academy (LFA) as it prepares for its historic debut at the Norway Cup — the world's largest youth football tournament — set to begin on July 26 in Oslo. Recognizing the significance of this milestone, PFL has formally written to the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Pakistan, requesting expedited visa facilitation for the Academy's young athletes. The League emphasized the importance of enabling these players to proudly represent Pakistan on the global stage, marking the nation's first-ever participation in the prestigious tournament. This gesture is not an isolated act — it reflects PFL's longstanding engagement with Lyari's football community. In 2024, PFL's international delegation, led by global ambassador Michael Owen and accompanied by Chairman Pakistan People's Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, visited Liyari's iconic Kakri Ground to witness a spirited exhibition match. The visit coincided with the inauguration of the newly rehabilitated Kakri Sports Complex and underscored PFL's recognition of Liyari as a cradle of football talent in Pakistan. To encourage the LFA's aspiring and extremely talented pool of young players, Chairman, PFL, Farhan Ahmed, during his recent visit to the Liyari Football Academy, met with the young athletes preparing for their journey to the Norway Cup. Taking time to speak with the extremely talented players, he praised their discipline, talent and unwavering spirit.
IOL News
11-07-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Liverpool legend Michael Owen criticises South Africa's football development system
Former England and Liverpool striker Michael Owen has provided a candid evaluation of South Africa's ongoing challenges in producing players Image: Leon Lestrade Independent Newspapers Michael Owen, the former England and Liverpool striker, has addressed South Africa's persistent challenges in developing players capable of breaking into the world's top football leagues, especially the Premier League. In an exclusive one-on-one interview with IOL, Owen, who is also a Subbet ambassador, pointed to a lack of long-term development systems as key reasons why South African players remain absent from elite European clubs. Owen, a Ballon d'Or winner and one of England's most celebrated strikers, also played for clubs like Real Madrid and Manchester United. "Listen, it's very difficult. Very difficult unless your structure supports it. And quite clearly in South Africa, the structure supports rugby players, maybe cricket," Owen said. His comments come at a time when South Africa has only a handful of players playing in Europe's top five leagues. "But in terms of football, as much as it's a very, very popular sport, getting young players through the system and sufficiently educated, and I'm talking football education, sufficiently educated, a nice clear career path, the finances, the facilities, you know, it's simply not there". Owen added that while South Africa remains a football-loving nation, passion alone was not enough. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading "So there's no point in having a 100,000-seater stadium that costs a billion pounds to build. That's the end game. If you want good players, you've got to start right at the other end. "And you've got to, you know, they've got to be doing it in schools. They've got to be playing. There's got to be a pathway. There's got to be lots and lots of things that have got to be put in place to be able to do that". IOL Sport Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel
Daily Mail
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Gemma Owen enjoys rare outing with her horse rider boyfriend Red Morgan at Wimbledon and cuts a stylish figure in a black mini dress
Gemma Owen enjoyed a rare outing with her horse rider boyfriend Red Morgan at Wimbledon day 11 on Thursday. The Love Island star, 22, who dated Luca Bish on and off the ITV show, made her new romance Instagram official earlier this year. It was reported at the time that Gemma, the daughter of footballer Michael Owen, was dating Red, the son of multi-millionaire businessman Steve Morgan. And this week they attended Wimbledon together where they linked arms while watching in the stands. Gemma wore a stylish black mini dress and pointed heels and accessorised with dark shades. While jockey Red cut a smart figure for the occasion in a light blue shirt and white trousers. Gemma unveiled the romance earlier this year as shared a photo of the pair joined by her football legend father Michael and her mother Louise Bonsall. A source told The Sun at the time that Gemma and Red had known each for a while after meeting through their shared passion of equestrian. Per the 2024 Sunday Times Rich List, Red's father Steve - who is the founder and chairman of housebuilder Redrow - has a net worth estimated at £915million. MailOnline contacted representatives for Gemma for comment at the time. Her new romance comes after it was revealed in February that Gemma has been setting up her own home since moving out of her family's £4million mansion. In a string of Instagram posts, Gemma revealed her bedroom and kitchen have been transformed, with a muted new décor. One video showed the before and after of her newly-renovated kitchen which is packed with grey appliances, and gold accents and fixtures. Her living room and bedroom continued with the all-grey theme, including metallic blinds, cabinets and matching satin pillows. She was invited to the Evian Mountain Of Youth VIP Suite However, Gemma faced backlash from some users online, after revealing that the renovation was part of a collaboration with a well-known design company, meaning it's likely she didn't pay a penny for the work. In exchange, Gemma promoted the company on her Instagram page, writing: 'Cottage kitchen reno… 'I'm so in love with my kitchen transformation by the incredible team at @prestigedesignyorkshire who have shared my excitement for the project throughout. I'm so happy with the glow up, it's everything that I wanted & more. @prestigedesignyorkshire.' Gemma, who rose to fame on Love Island also shared videos of her new bedroom, while gushing over the luxurious new blinds and curtains she received from Dutch Limes Oak flooring. The clip revealed the star's enormous bed, alongside a sleek, white built-in wardrobe. Prior to moving into her cottage, Gemma had been living with her parents at their £4 million mansion in the Welsh countryside. Ahead of her first stint on the show she admitted that her England legend father 'wasn't happy' about her signing up but he trusted her not to 'embarrass' him. The swimwear brand owner told MailOnline at the time that Michael resisted having a 'tantrum' after learning she will be on the dating show, and eventually gave his blessing, saying: 'I'm not going to tell you what to do.' She said: 'I still wouldn't say that my dad is buzzing about me doing Love Island. 'He's very supportive in whatever I decide to do. He didn't have a massive tantrum or anything like that. He was pretty chilled, he trusts me not to do anything to embarrass him. He took it quite well. 'He didn't say I couldn't do this or give me any dos or don'ts. He said I'm not going to tell you what to do, I trust you, you have never given us a reason not to trust you, go for it but I will always have my family's thoughts and opinions in the forefront of my mind because we are all super close and they are the most important people to me.'
The Citizen
10-07-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Liverpool legend Michael Owen visits North Coast
Football legend and horse racing enthusiast Michael Owen made a memorable appearance at Sibaya Casino and Entertainment Kingdom on Friday. The former England striker was visiting KwaZulu-Natal for the first time, despite having travelled to South Africa on three previous occasions. Owen was in the province as a SunBet ambassador for the 2025 Durban July, held on Saturday. The 2001 Ballon d'Or winner spent several hours signing autographs and engaging with fans before speaking about his dual passions: football and horse racing. 'Football has been my life, but racing is my passion – it's what I love,' said Owen (45), who owns The Michael Owen Racing Club at Manor House Stables in Cheshire, UK. His racing operation includes more than 130 horses and 40 staff, with several horses co-owned by current and former footballers, including former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. During his visit, Owen toured the Summerveld horse training facility in Shongweni. He expressed admiration for the South African racing scene and hinted at possible future involvement. 'You never know,' he said, adding that he wouldn't be giving up any secrets just yet. The two-time English Premier League Golden Boot winner also praised South African cuisine. 'I love the food, it's bigger, better and the price is more reasonable than in the UK,' he said. Owen told the Courier that his favourite goal remains his 1998 World Cup wonder strike against Argentina in France. 'If I could relive one game again,' he said, 'it would be the 2001 FA Cup Final against Arsenal, because we (Liverpool) won and I scored the winner. Argentina knocked us (England) out of the World Cup, and my goal didn't count for anything.' Owen learned of Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota's death (reported on July 3) while flying to Durban. 'It's the most awful and tragic news. My thoughts are with his family. I cannot imagine the pain they are going through.' He also criticised the current structure of the FIFA Club World Cup, calling it flawed. 'I cannot take it seriously. How can you have some of the best teams – Liverpool, Arsenal and Barcelona – not competing?' Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news. Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here or if you're on desktop, scan the QR code below. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Michael Owen names Oriental Charm his favourite ahead of Hollywodbets Durban July
Legendary soccer player and current racehorse trainer Michael Owen arrived in the city to engage with fans at Sibaya Casino & Entertainment and share his passion for horse racing. Image: Leon Lestrade/ Independent Newspapers As excitement builds ahead of the Durban July on Saturday, Liverpool legend Michael Owen has named Oriental Charm as the horse he favours, despite Eight on 18 being the official race favourite. Themed 'Marvels of Mzansi', this year's prestigious Durban July horse racing event and fashion extravaganza is expected to attract around 50,000 visitors to Durban, with hotel occupancy forecasted at 80%. According to eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba, the city is set to reap major economic benefits, including a boost of over R700 million to Durban's GDP and the creation of more than 4,000 jobs. Speaking at a media event and fan meet-and-greet at Sibaya Casino Durban on Friday, Owen, who is also Sunbet ambassador, shared his insights ahead of the big race. "Eight on 18 is the favourite, isn't it? That sounds like everybody's keen on it. I actually like the look of the number one horse, Oriental Charm. Charm won it last year and is drawn well — an older, more robust horse compared to the young pretender,' Owen said. He added that while he's still learning about the Durban July, he is excited to experience South Africa's premier horse racing event. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading 'I've just come off the back of doing five days at Royal Ascot, which is our showpiece in the UK. I've been told the Durban July is the big one over here. It excites the nation. Lots of people will be there, the racing is great,' he said. While Owen made his name as a footballer, his passion for horse racing runs deep. At age 22, he founded Manor House Stables in Cheshire, which today manages over 130 horses and has produced numerous international champions. "It's not really been a transition for me because racing has always been my passion outside football. I set up Manor House Stables when I was 22, and now we're training about 130 horses,' he explained. The football legend will be experiencing the event atmosphere for the first time and looks forward to the social and cultural aspects of the event. 'There'll be the fashion and the people and the excitement and the social environment. So, I'm looking forward to seeing what else is great,' he said. IOL Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel
