Love Island: Luca says he’s never seen Michael Owen play football ahead of meeting Gemma’s dad

‘I’ve had people tell me about the goals he scored and all that,’ he said

Love Island star Luca Bish has made an unexpected claim about Michael Owen.

Luca, who finished the ITV2 series in second place alongside his daughter, Gemma Owen, played down knowing much about the former footballing pro’s success in a new interview.

Throughout the series, viewers claimed they thought Luca had coupled up with Gemma after he discovered the identity of her father.

At one stage, during a date when Gemma said she thought he would get on with her dad, many shared funny gif reaction posts on Twitter, calling this moment the highlight of Luca’s time on the show.

However, speaking to ITV after the series ended, Luca claimed he was unaware of Owen’s footballing career.

Addressing Gemma’s mother’s claim that Luca looked like a young Michael Owen, Luca replied: “I think when he was playing football, I was really young so I don’t think I’ve ever seen your dad.”

He added: “I’ve seen him now presenting and stuff, but I don’t think I look anything like him there, but maybe when he was younger.”

When Gemma said, “You need to see a picture of him when he was younger, side by side,” Luca stated: “I’ve had nothing to go off. I’ve had people tell me about the goals he scored and all that.”

Asked how he felt about the comparison, the fishmonger replied: “I think when he was playing football, I was really young so I don’t think I’ve ever seen your dad. I’ve seen him now presenting and stuff but I don’t think I look anything like him there but maybe when he was younger.”

‘Love Island’ stars Gemma and Luca finished in second place (ITV2)

Owen, who was England’s youngest goalscorer when he made his debut in 1998, was a striker for several teams, including Liverpool, Newcastle United, Manchester United and Real Madrid.

Love Island was won by Ekin-Su and Davide.