Louise Owen has revealed she feels guilty for cutting short her husband Michael Owen's Real Madrid career after just one season in Spain.
The couple disclosed the reasons behind the former England striker's abrupt departure from the Spanish club in 2005 in their upcoming Prime Video documentary series, Meet The Owens.
Michael Owen joined Real Madrid in 2004 after spending eight years playing for Liverpool FC, with the couple and their young daughter Gemma moving into a Madrid hotel.
Real Madrid, based in the Spanish capital, was widely regarded to be the best football team in the world at the time. Speaking about the transfer, Michael recalled his excitement at the opportunity to play abroad.
"Life was great but then Real Madrid came in," Michael said. "To see a different country, team, food, weather, language, I thought 'I've got to try that.'"
Louise shared that while she was initially happy for her husband, living in Spain proved challenging. "I was excited for him and what he was achieving. I'm grateful for those times, but I wouldn't say I missed it. I like where we are now," she said. "When I look back at his career I look back at it fondly, but Madrid was quite a testing time for me personally."
Testing times in a Madrid hotel
Reflecting on moving abroad with their first child, Gemma, who had only just turned one year old at the time, Louise explained how isolated she felt living in hotel accommodation without family nearby.
"I'd just had Gemma. Having your first child then moving to a foreign country where you don't have your support network - it was so lonely," Louise said. "I didn't even have Michael, he was away half of the week."
She added: "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."
Pitch success and personal strain
While Louise struggled with isolation in Spain, Michael enjoyed his time on the pitch and settled quickly into the squad alongside several of world football's biggest stars.
"I was loving it," Michael confessed. "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."
Michael explained that while he was surrounded by famous teammates, his wife was isolated. "I was fine. I had David Beckham and Luís Figo, Ronaldo - but she was just on her own. It was so hard for me to see her getting drained of life and how sad she was when it should have been such an exciting thing," he said.
Recognising the toll the move was taking on his family, Michael decided to end his stay in Spain after a single season. "I knew there was no coming back from that. I knew if I'd stayed another year, Louise wouldn't have. 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," he explained. "And obviously with a young family that's the last thing I wanted."
Louise admitted she still feels guilty about how her feelings impacted his career. "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," she said. "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."
Childhood romance and family life
Michael and Louise have been together for 28 years, having first met as children when they attended Rector Drew Primary School together in Flintshire, North Wales. The pair began dating when they turned 17.
The couple tied the knot in 2005 in a wedding ceremony at their family home, with their eldest daughter Gemma present. They went on to welcome three more children: James, now 20, Emily, 18, and Jessica, 16.
Their relationship has faced scrutiny over the years. In 2021, allegations surfaced in the Mirror claiming that the former striker had been sexting former Big Brother contestant Rebecca James. Neither Michael nor Louise publicly commented on the claims at the time.
The family has also dealt with health challenges. Their son James previously opened up about a rare eye condition that left him clinically blind and brought an end to his own hopes of pursuing a professional football career.
Meet The Owens docuseries on Prime Video
The family's daily life is set to be featured in the new Prime Video documentary series, Meet The Owens, which follows a year in the life of Michael, Louise, and their four children as they manage a horse racing business alongside a busy home life.
In the series, Michael and Louise are shown preparing for life as empty nesters while their children pursue their own paths. Youngest daughter Jessica aims to become an Olympic showjumping champion, while Emily is working to become the first member of the Owen family to attend university, and James is considering joining the family horse racing business.
All six episodes of Meet The Owens will be available to stream exclusively on Prime Video from August 28, 2026.
