Former England striker, Michael Owen, has said he would “swap eyes” with his son, who has been left clinically blind due to an incurable condition.
Owen’s son James was diagnosed with Stargardt disease, a degenerative eye condition, when he was just eight years old.
The 17-year-old, who was a promising footballer in his youth, is now clinically blind.
To Make James See Again
There is no cure currently for the condition, with Owen opening up on the pain of seeing his son lose his sight.
Owen told the BBC’s Access All podcast: “If I could give him my eyes and we could do a swap, I would.
“I would pay every cent I’ve got to make James see again”.
The former Liverpool and Real Madrid striker also spoke about how the diagnosis has affected him as a father and the anguish of watching his son endure painful tests to determine his condition.
Sad Time
He added: “As a parent you just want everything to be perfect – and he is – but of course it was a sad time.
“Thinking about the future – will he be able to drive? Will he be able to work?
“All these things run through your mind.
“You’re pushing your son forward to get something you know is going to be painful.
“It’s just horrible to see. You want to take all the pain away”.
Owen and his son James are set to release a documentary entitled ‘Football is for Everyone’.
The programme explores James’ sight loss and shows the duo following the visually impaired futsal England squad, where Owen junior managed to make an impact.
“I did actually score at some point while training with the England team which I’m quite happy about,” he explained.
“I actually got megged and then scored an own goal.
“It was not a great moment!”.
Despite the difficulties the Owen family have been through, Michael is optimistic about what the future holds for son James.
“He’s just mentally very, very strong.
“He’s got a great mindset,” he said.
“I’ve got four children and I’m probably the least worried about James’s future.”
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However, Owen has his own racehorse yard.
Also, has worked as a football pundit since hanging up his boots, and thinks James could succeed him when he calls it a day:
“When I retire from work in 30 years or something, he’ll probably take over the ‘family empire'”.
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