Michael Owen: "It Was a Slow Death" From Ballon d'Or to RETIRED at 33

Ballon d'Or winner Michael Owen became one of the world's best footballers by developing an extraordinary ability to turn doubt, mistakes, and setbacks into self-belief. He joins Jake and Damian to reveal how that mindset was built, and why it eventually became one of his greatest challenges. Michael reflects on the injuries that took away the explosive pace that defined him, and the painful eight-year gap between the player he believed he was and what his body could still deliver. He also opens up about retiring at 33, losing his sense of purpose, the strain it placed on his marriage, and how he eventually found a new competitive outlet beyond football. This is an honest exploration of self-belief, identity, and what happens when the mindset that drives success becomes difficult to switch off. Meet the Owens, a six-part docuseries in the UK and Ireland, is available on Prime Video from the 28th August. 00:00 Michael Owen on the danger of perfection 03:15 Where his extraordinary self-belief came from 08:24 The mindset behind the infamous apple core story 16:29 How Michael Owen dealt with failure 21:08 Turning every negative into a positive 29:30 When injuries changed everything 34:30 “I felt embarrassed” — losing the player he used to be 41:30 The Newcastle accusation Michael says was a lie 46:41 Relief, regret and his final game 48:24 Losing his purpose after football 51:36 How therapy helped save his relationship 57:08 The Michael Owen the public never saw 1:01:43 Finding purpose again with Manor House Stables 1:06:04 Michael Owen’s High Performance quickfire 🚨 Partners AG1 👉 head to http://drinkag1.com/highperformance and get a free Morning Person Hat to help start your AG1 daily habit - plus a free D3 and K2, and five travel packs Ford 👉 Learn more about Ford Racing's historic return to F1 at Ford Racing: https://www.ford.co.uk/ford-racing Vitality 👉 We've partnered with Vitality because our philosophies align perfectly: healthy habits build high performance and can lead to a healthier, longer life. Find out more about health and life insurance with Vitality: https://highpfrmc.com/vitality-hp-YT HP Foundation 👉 Do you want to kick-start an evolution that will change the lives of millions of children? Find out more about the High Performance Foundation: https://hppod.co/foundation Explore offers and discounts through our other partners: https://hppod.co/partners #MichaelOwen #HighPerformance #Football #PremierLeague #LiverpoolFC #EnglandFootball #ManchesterUnited #RealMadrid #FootballPodcast #FootballMentality #ElitePerformance #MentalStrength #FootballRetirement #SportsPsychology #HighPerformancePodcast