Michael Owen splashed the cash on street of houses for his family whilst still a teenager

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Michael Owen once spent a fortune on a street of new houses for his family after kickstarting his professional football career. Born in Chester and raised in nearby Hawarden, Owen broke through the ranks of the Liverpool academy in 1996 before enjoying an emphatic eight-year tenure at Anfield.

And thanks to his success early on, the now 45-year-old was in a financial position to splash the cash on new houses for his family in the area he grew up. Owen, speaking to Reece Mennie on his podcast , said: "I bought a lot of houses right at the outset when I first came into a bit of money for my family.

"So it was all news at the time, but I bought a street of new houses, which I bought when I was about 19. 26 years later, my mum and dad live in the first one, my brother in the next one, my brother in the next one, my sister in the next one. So we've got a full street in the village that we were brought up in, which was lovely to do."

As per a report from The Guardian back in 2001, Owen spent around £750,000 to home his nearest and dearest alongside one another - roughly three months' wages at the time. However, it is said that Owen didn't take up tenure at a property on the street himself, instead, opting to settle a mile down the road in a detached house.

Just the fourth Englishman to win the Ballon d'Or , Owen enjoyed an incredible career with Liverpool between 1996 and 2004, racking up 158 goals and 51 assists across 297 appearances. With the Reds, he also won an FA Cup , a pair of League Cups, a Community Shield , a UEFA Cup and a UEFA Super Cup before making the move to Real Madrid in an £8million deal.

However, his time at the Bernabeu was less than fruitful, making 45 appearances over the course of a year before returning to English soil to play for Newcastle United . After spending four years at St James' Park, Owen transferred to Liverpool's bitter rivals, Manchester United .

There, he won the Premier League in 2009/10, as well as adding another League Cup and Community Shield to his trophy cabinet. After spending three years with the Red Devils, Owen signed for Stoke City in 2012, lasting just one season with the Potters before hanging up his boots.

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Owen also achieved 89 caps for England on the world stage as part of the nation's 'Golden Generation', but ultimately failed to win a major honour with the Three Lions. It comes as Owen was spotted in unrecognisable fashion at his daughter's birthday bash earlier this month.

The former forward donned Hulk Hogan fancy dress attire as he celebrated his youngest daughter's 18th, wearing a one-piece costume with inflated muscles which read 'Hulkamania' across the chest. He also wore an over-the-top fake moustache, a blonde wig and a bandana to tie the piece together.

Also spotted at the do was his eldest daughter and former Love Island star, Gemma , who opted to dress as a flapper girl in a stunning metallic dress, complete with long black satin gloves, a pearl necklace and a rhinestone headband.

Owen's wife, Louise, meanwhile, sported a look of Audrey Hepburn from Breakfast at Tiffany's. She wore an elegant black dress with long black gloves and dark sunglasses.

The couple's son, James, was dressed as a jockey, while birthday girl Emily stole the show in a Marylin Monroe costume.

Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.