Since retiring from football, Michael Owen has become a racehorse owner, but he admits that nothing compares to the excitement of playing the game, believing he was destined to be a top striker.

Speaking to FIVE, Owen said, “I was put on this Earth to score goals, to be adored by fans, and to hear them sing my name. When that suddenly stops, you need to find something else that gives you a similar thrill.”

Owen now manages Manor House Stables in Cheshire, where he oversees more than 100 horses. His passion for horses began when he was 23, but despite his enthusiasm for racing, he admitted, “There’s nothing that can match the thrill of scoring a crucial goal, especially a last-minute or World Cup goal. That’s what you live for.”

He added, “I set up the stables ten years before retiring, and now I wake up every day loving what I do.”

Owen stated that the project has been “20 years in the making.” He shared, “Paul Scholes, Steve McManaman, Owen Hargreaves, and Andy Townsend all chipped in to buy a horse together, and we named it Box-to-Box since we’re all on TV, and half of the syndicate consists of midfielders.”

He added, “The horse has been an absolute star, winning four or five races, and we’ve had a lot of fun with him.”