Michael Owen’s post-retirement career has blended media work, business ventures and a growing commitment to horse racing, for which he has become an owner and high-profile ambassador. Since hanging up his boots in 2013, he has steadily built a portfolio life that allows him to stay close to football while also enjoying his lifelong interests away from the pitch.??

leave the field

When Owen announced he would retire at the end of the 2012-13 season, it marked the end of a top-flight career that began at Liverpool and went on to spells at Real Madrid, Newcastle United, Manchester United and Stoke City. He scored 40 goals in 89 games for England, making him one of the country’s most prolific international strikers.??

However, this transition is not emotionally simple. In a later interview looking back on his 40th birthday, Owen described the initial “emptiness” he felt after retiring, talking about the difficulty of no longer training every day and no longer feeling “special” like an elite footballer. He also admitted that those early years put a strain on his personal life as he adjusted to a completely different routine and identity away from the game.??

One of Owen’s first big moves after retirement was to enter broadcasting, where he quickly became a regular commentator and co-commentator on live football games. He joins the ecosystem of Premier League coverage produced for a global audience as lead studio commentator on Premier League produced shows such as Extra Time and Saturday Wrap-Up, where he provides match and storyline analysis from England’s top flight.??

Irving’s broadcast style often divides opinion, with some viewers questioning his on-air observations while others value the Ballon d’Or-winning former forward’s opinions. Regardless of the reception, his presence on these programs firmly links him to the modern Premier League era, ensuring his name and views remain part of the weekly football conversation.??

Books, brands and business interests

In addition to live broadcasts, Irving is actively shaping his post-retirement image through books and business partnerships. His book “The Michael Irvine Reboot,” for example, looks back at the highs and lows of his career and the mental challenges that followed, taking a more candid look at the sudden cliff edge represented by fame, injury and retirement as a professional athlete.??

He also spent years cultivating the “Michael Owen brand,” a concept that dated back to later in his career when his off-field persona and commercial appeal were carefully packaged and promoted. This branding has extended to sponsorships, ambassadorial roles and corporate identity, making Owen a well-known and marketable figure in football-related industries and beyond.??

Deep connection with horse racing

If football made Owen famous, then horse racing has undoubtedly become his favorite after retirement. He began investing in racehorses long before he retired, and since leaving racing he has become a prominent owner, breeder and fan of the sport in the UK.??

The most tangible expression of this passion is Manor House Stables, a thoroughbred racecourse in Cheshire where Owen and his wife Louise converted a cattle shed into a training ground in 2007. The stable, which he owned in partnership with entrepreneur Andrew Black, initially had around 30 horses in training and has since grown into an important base, now occupied by Classic-winning trainer Hugo Palmer, putting Irving directly at the center of British flat racing competition.??

Estate stables and ownership shares

The Manor Stables is more than just a hobby project; it is a serious racing institution that Owen is constantly working to develop and expand. Over the past fifteen years the venue has been modernized with modern training facilities, capacity and profile improved, with Palmer claiming dozens of winners in a season and regularly earning close to seven figures in prize money.??

Owen remains closely involved as a horse owner and master, often welcoming other owners to the stables, many of whom have a football background. The yard attracted, as he puts it, “a modicum of football ownership”, with figures such as Sir Alex Ferguson, Paul Scholes, Steve McManaman and even members of the Burnley squad taking stakes in horses trained on the estate, creating a competitive social scene that linked his two sporting worlds.

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Syndicates, fan engagement and the racing lifestyle

His racing interests extend beyond private ownership to a consortium-based model that allows smaller investors and fans to participate in the experience. The partnership with horses bred by Hugo Palmer at the Manor House occasionally gives members the opportunity to gallop with Owen, attend his company’s racing meetings and enjoy the facilities of the stable, effectively turning his racing business into an interactive lifestyle brand.??

Through these syndicates and his public profile, Owen has become an unofficial ambassador for horse racing, promoting the sport to a wider audience. His fans, as well as horse racing enthusiasts who place their horse racing bets with TwinSpires, know that he often speaks of his continued passion for the sport, stressing that after more than 15 years of involvement, he remains as committed as ever to improving the quality of horses, facilities and the ownership experience at Manor House Stables.??

Balancing football tradition and new passion

In the years since his retirement, Owen has gradually balanced his legacy as a former England and Liverpool star with his new identity as a media pundit and racehorse owner. Television allowed him to follow the weekly rhythms of football, while his racing commitments offered a different type of competitive outlet, based on breeding decisions, training regimes and long-term planning rather than the immediate drama of a 90-minute game.??

He has also used his experiences to speak more openly about the psychological realities of leaving elite sport, encouraging more awareness of how players prepare themselves for life after the final whistle. Along the way, Owen’s post-football career has evolved into a multifaceted second act, built on media work, business ventures and a deep involvement in horse racing that shows no signs of abating.