Owen Hargreaves
Encyclopedia
Owen Lee Hargreaves is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder
for English Premier League club Manchester City
and the English national football team.
Born in Calgary
, Alberta
, Canada
, Hargreaves played with Calgary Foothills
as a youth before beginning his professional football career in Germany with Bayern Munich
. After seven years with the Munich side – during which time he won four German league titles
and the 2000–01 UEFA Champions League – Hargreaves signed for Manchester United
in 2007, winning the Premier League and UEFA Champions League
in his first season there. However, his time at Manchester United was plagued with injuries and he was allowed to leave the club at the end of his contract in June 2011. Hargreaves resorted to posting YouTube
videos in a bid to convince potential suitors of his fitness, and in August 2011 Manchester City
offered a one-year contract to Hargreaves which he accepted.
As a Canadian with a Welsh mother and an English father, Hargreaves was eligible to represent Canada
, Wales
or England. He opted to play for the England U-21 team
in 2000 and was capped
by the senior squad the following year. He is the only player to have played for England without having previously lived in the United Kingdom
, and only the second to have done so without having previously played in the English football league system
(the first being Joe Baker
).
, Alberta
, as the youngest of three children of Margaret and Colin Hargreaves, who had emigrated from the United Kingdom at the start of the 1980s. His father played football for the Bolton Wanderers
youth side and also for the Calgary Kickers
of the Canadian Soccer League
. He is the only member of his family born in Canada. His brother Darren and his mother were both born in Wales
, his other brother Neil and his father were born in England
.
for two and a half years before spending six months with the Amateur team
. While with the Under-19s the team reached the final of the German Championship in 1998. They lost in the final to Borussia Dortmund
, but only after a penalty shoot-out in Dortmund's Stadion Rote Erde
.
On 12 August 2000, Hargreaves played in his first Bundesliga
match, making an appearance as a substitute for Carsten Jancker
in the 83rd minute. His first start came against SpVgg Unterhaching
on 16 September 2000. That season the club were Bundesliga champions and also claimed the UEFA Champions League
crown. Hargreaves is one of only two English players to have won a Champions League medal with a non-English club, the other being two-time winner Steve McManaman
(who won the Champions League with Real Madrid
).
In the 2001–02 season Hargreaves established himself as a first team regular. He made 46 appearances in all, with the club finishing third in the Bundesliga, making the quarter finals of the Champions League and being defeated in the DFB Cup
by Schalke
. The club regained their Bundesliga title in 2002–03, along with the DFB Cup. On 26 January 2003, Hargreaves scored his first Bundesliga goal in the game against Borussia Mönchengladbach
. Altogether he made 25 Bundesliga appearances, four in Cup games and three in the Champions League.
2002–03 saw Hargreaves out injured on three separate occasions. In September he tore a thigh muscle, then in October a calf muscle. Towards the end of the season adductor problems meant he missed a further three weeks.
The 2003–04 season was Hargreaves' first with Bayern without winning any silverware. After clinching the double the year before, the Munich side finished second in the Bundesliga, and were knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid. Hargreaves made a total of 38 appearances for the club in this season. In 2004–05 he picked up another German championship and DFB Cup. He had 27 appearances in the Bundesliga (one goal), played in three Cup games (two goals) and eight Champions League games. In the 2005–06 season, he added another Bundesliga and Cup title. Hargreaves scored the first goal at the new Allianz Arena
in a competitive match on 5 August 2005, against Borussia Mönchengladbach. In all, he had 15 (one goal) league, four (two goals) cup and three Champions League appearances. In October 2005, he extended his contract at Bayern for another four years.
In the 2006–07 season, Hargreaves broke his leg, which kept him out of most of Bayern Munich's league campaign that season. He recovered in time to take part in Bayern's victory over Real Madrid in the Champions League, progressing after an aggregate score of 4–4 thanks to their two away goals in the 3–2 defeat in the first leg at Madrid's Bernabéu.
on 1 July 2007, after almost a year of negotiations between Bayern Munich and United for a fee of around £17 million. Hargreaves was finally unveiled as a Manchester United player on 1 July, having signed a four-year contract with the club. He was then revealed to the press on 9 July, along with fellow newcomer Nani
. Hargreaves was given the number 4 shirt at Old Trafford.
Hargreaves made his Manchester United debut in a friendly against Peterborough United
on 4 August, coming on as a second half substitute in United's 3–1 victory. He made his first Premier League appearance in Manchester United's third game of the season, in the derby match away to Manchester City
in a 1–0 defeat. Hargreaves scored his first league goal for Manchester United against Fulham
on 1 March, a free kick from just outside the penalty box. He scored his second league goal for the club on 13 April, a free kick winner against Arsenal
. In his first season with Manchester United they won the Premier League and Champions League titles.
The start of Hargreaves' second season at United was hampered by injuries, specifically a recurring patellar tendinitis problem that restricted him to sporadic appearances in 2008–09. After trips to specialists in both London and Sweden yielded no results, Hargreaves travelled to Colorado
, United States
, in November 2008 to visit renowned knee surgeon, Richard Steadman
. Hargreaves underwent surgery on his right knee on 10 November 2008 and received a similar operation on his left knee in January 2009. However, this meant that Hargreaves would miss the remainder of the 2008–09 season, ultimately meaning he would miss out on a second Premier League title and a League Cup
winner's medal. Hargreaves underwent his rehabilitation programme in the United States, and was due to return to training with Manchester United at the Audi Cup
in Munich. However, upon assessment, it was decided that he should continue with his rehabilitation in the United States. Hargreaves returned to Manchester United on 23 September 2009, joined by his physiotherapist for a week to aid the transition process and for the club to understand his rehabilitation programme.
In January 2010, it was speculated that Hargreaves was initially slated to return in time for Manchester United's Champions League first knockout round tie against Milan
, despite not being fully match-fit. However, on 4 February 2010, Hargreaves suffered a major setback to his World Cup hopes as Sir Alex Ferguson
omitted him from the squad for the knockout stage in favour of Belgian defender Ritchie De Laet. It was expected that Hargreaves would make his return from injury in a reserve team match against Manchester City on 11 March, but on the day of the match, Hargreaves pulled out of the game to continue with his training regime. He eventually made his comeback a week later, playing for 45 minutes of Manchester United's reserve team match against Burnley
on 18 March. On 24 April, Hargreaves was named as an unused substitute for the first-team match against Tottenham Hotspur
.
On 2 May 2010, Hargreaves made his Premier League return in the 93rd minute of United's penultimate game of the season against Sunderland
. It was his first Premier League action since a 1–1 draw with Chelsea in September 2008, in which time he had missed 113 matches in 20 months. Despite this, Hargreaves missed the beginning of the 2010–11 season, having suffered another injury, for which he travelled to the United States to see a specialist. On September 24, manager Sir Alex Ferguson announced that Hargreaves had returned to training. On 6 November 2010, he made his first start since September 2008 against Wolverhampton Wanderers
, however it was short-lived after a hamstring injury forced his withdrawal for Bébé
just five minutes into the match, which United went on to win 2–1.
On 22 May 2011, Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed that the club would not offer Hargreaves a new contract, sparking rumours about his subsequent retirement. His contract expired at the end of the 2010–11 season and he left the club, despite offering to play the 2011–12 season for free. Hargreaves later posted videos on YouTube
of him exercising, in order to prove his fitness to potential clubs. Buoyed by Richard Steadman's optimistic assessment that Hargreave's knees, a source of injury for a number of years, could withstand the impact of 'jumping from the Eiffel Tower', a number of clubs including Aston Villa
, Tottenham Hotspur
, Leicester City
, West Bromwich Albion
, Nottingham Forest
, QPR
, Rangers
and "several MLS
clubs" were believed to be considering an offer for Hargreaves.
doctor Phillip Batty ahead of a move to City
. The medical team at Manchester City were reportedly impressed by Hargreaves state of body as well as his state of mind. City had been looking for a replacement for Patrick Vieira
who retired the season before and an additional midfielder as Yaya Toure
will be absent during January 2012 because of the African Cup of Nations
. They had earmarked Daniele De Rossi
, Fernando Gago and Mark Van Bommel
but when these approaches failed, City turned to Hargreaves - a player they had been looking at for a few months prior to their initial approach.
On 31 August 2011, Manchester City confirmed that they had signed Hargreaves on a one-year deal. It was expected Hargreaves would join West Brom Albion, but the Manchester City offer came as a surprise. The move offered Hargreaves an opportunity for Champions League football as the club look to challenge his previous club, Manchester United for the Premier League. However he was left out of the Champions League squad. Hargreaves made his Man City debut against Birmingham City in the League Cup, and opened the scoring in a 2-0 victory with a goal in the 17th minute.
, Wales
or Canada
. As a youngster he was a regular in the youth setups of Wales, and was set to make his début for the Wales U21
team against the Belarus U21
team in September 2000 but pulled out of the squad after he was approached by England. On 31 August 2000, the then England U21
manager, Howard Wilkinson
, called the 19-year-old into his squad for the match against Georgia
. The game, played at the Riverside Stadium
, Middlesbrough
, ended in a 6–1 win for the home team. Further appearances for the U21s followed in friendlies against Italy
and Spain
.
Hargreaves played his first full international game on 15 August 2001 against the Netherlands
at White Hart Lane
, giving him the distinction of being the only player to appear for England despite having never lived in England. He was also the second player (after Joe Baker
) to have appeared for England without having played in English league football
and the first to appear for England without having played in Britain
. In only his second cap he came on as a substitute as England famously beat Germany
5–1 in the Olympiastadion
. Hargreaves was the only player playing outside the Premier League to be selected for England's 2002 FIFA World Cup
squad. Hargreaves was injured after just fifteen minutes of England's second Group game against Argentina
and had to be substituted.
Although he had not usually been part of the first-team, he was selected for the England squads at Euro 2004 in Portugal and the 2006 World Cup
in Germany despite criticism from sections of the press and public. The generally negative perception of him by English fans had not been helped by his seeming to have an essence of "German-ness", exacerbated by his Canadian accent and fluency in German. However, in a tournament in which England were generally regarded as having underachieved, he was, by the end of England's participation, widely considered one of the few successes of the English squad. He was named Man of the match
in the quarter final against Portugal
, the game in which England were eliminated after a penalty shootout, Hargreaves having been the only successful English penalty taker. In 2006, he won both England Player of the Year, and England Player of the World Cup in official FA polls, the first to win both in the same year.
Hargreaves picked up the Man of the match award in England's 4–0 win over Greece on 16 August 2006. On 30 January 2007 he was voted England Player of the Year 2006, as voted for by visitors to the Official FA site.
In June 2007, FIFA announced that Hargreaves and Philipp Lahm
would visit South Africa in advance support for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
.
After his transfer to Manchester City, England coach Fabio Capello confirmed that Hargreaves still had an international career by saying "I hope he will be really good in the short-term for Manchester City and also for England."
Statistics accurate as of match played 6 November 2010
Statistics accurate as of match played 21 September 2011
It emerged by 2008 that Hargreaves was suffering from a problem with his patella tendon and this was eventually narrowed down to patellar tendinitis. Surgeon Richard Steadman
stated that Hargreaves knees were in a worse state than any other he had come across in his 35 years of experience. After numerous operations on both his knees, Steadman said in September 2010 that Hargreaves' problems with his knees were over but Alex Ferguson refuted this. In November 2010, Hargreaves made his first start for Manchester United in 777 days, but limped off after six minutes.
In 2011, Manchester United did not renew his contract due to his injury troubles. Speculation rumbled about Hargreaves retiring due to his injuries but determined to prove himself, he uploaded YouTube videos of himself training to convince potential clubs of his fitness. His determination to carry on despite chronic injury has won him admirers.
After his move to Manchester City, Owen Hargreaves stated that he felt like "a guinea pig" during his time on the treatment table at Manchester United. He believed that his prolonged trouble with injuries were the revolutionary treatments he was forced to undergo in an effort to solve a problem he felt had been exacerbated by the injections. Sir Alex Ferguson has refuted these claims.
Manchester United
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
for English Premier League club Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
and the English national football team.
Born in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Hargreaves played with Calgary Foothills
Calgary Foothills SC
Calgary Foothills Soccer Club is a soccer club renowned for their youth program.The club was established in 1972.They play in the Alberta Soccer League ....
as a youth before beginning his professional football career in Germany with Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
. After seven years with the Munich side – during which time he won four German league titles
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
and the 2000–01 UEFA Champions League – Hargreaves signed for Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
in 2007, winning the Premier League and UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
in his first season there. However, his time at Manchester United was plagued with injuries and he was allowed to leave the club at the end of his contract in June 2011. Hargreaves resorted to posting YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
videos in a bid to convince potential suitors of his fitness, and in August 2011 Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
offered a one-year contract to Hargreaves which he accepted.
As a Canadian with a Welsh mother and an English father, Hargreaves was eligible to represent Canada
Canada men's national soccer team
The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...
, Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
or England. He opted to play for the England U-21 team
England national under-21 football team
England's national Under-21 football team, also known as England Under-21s or England U21, is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team....
in 2000 and was capped
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
by the senior squad the following year. He is the only player to have played for England without having previously lived in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and only the second to have done so without having previously played in the English football league system
English football league system
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for association football clubs in England, with six teams from Wales also competing...
(the first being Joe Baker
Joe Baker
Joseph Henry "Joe" Baker was an England international footballer. Born in Liverpool, England, he spent virtually his entire childhood growing up in Motherwell, Scotland...
).
Early life
Hargreaves was born in CalgaryCalgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, as the youngest of three children of Margaret and Colin Hargreaves, who had emigrated from the United Kingdom at the start of the 1980s. His father played football for the Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
youth side and also for the Calgary Kickers
Calgary Kickers
Calgary Kickers were a Canadian soccer team which competed in the Canadian Soccer League from 1987 to 1989. They were named the Calgary Strikers for the 1989 season. Their home stadium was Mewata Stadium in Calgary.-History:...
of the Canadian Soccer League
Canadian Soccer League (current)
The Canadian Soccer League is the top soccer league in Canada and is controlled by the Canadian Soccer Association. It was formerly known as the Canadian Professional Soccer League , and was officially re-branded on May 17, 2006...
. He is the only member of his family born in Canada. His brother Darren and his mother were both born in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, his other brother Neil and his father were born in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Bayern Munich
Hargreaves moved at the age of sixteen from Calgary Foothills to Bayern Munich on 1 July 1997. He played in the Under-19 teamBayern Munich Junior Team
Bayern Munich Junior Team is the youth academy for German football club Bayern Munich. The Junior Team was created in 1902and restructured in 1995 has educated many players who have become regulars in the Fußball-Bundesliga and the Germany national football team, such as Thomas Müller, Andreas...
for two and a half years before spending six months with the Amateur team
FC Bayern Munich II
Bayern Munich II are the second team of German association football club Bayern Munich. In 2010–11 they played in the 3rd Liga, having qualified for its inaugural season in 2008, and have consistently played at the third level of German football — they played in the Regionalliga Süd from...
. While with the Under-19s the team reached the final of the German Championship in 1998. They lost in the final to Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
, but only after a penalty shoot-out in Dortmund's Stadion Rote Erde
Stadion Rote Erde
Stadion Rote Erde is a 25,000 capacity football and athletics stadium in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. It serves as home to Borussia Dortmund II....
.
On 12 August 2000, Hargreaves played in his first Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
match, making an appearance as a substitute for Carsten Jancker
Carsten Jancker
Carsten Jancker is a former German professional footballer and current manager.- Career :A striker, Jancker is physically very large for a footballer, standing at . His height and strength have proved to be an advantage when playing as a target man, as displayed during his most successful days at...
in the 83rd minute. His first start came against SpVgg Unterhaching
SpVgg Unterhaching
Spielvereinigung Unterhaching is a German sports club in Unterhaching, a semi-rural municipality on the southern outskirts of the Bavarian capital Munich....
on 16 September 2000. That season the club were Bundesliga champions and also claimed the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
crown. Hargreaves is one of only two English players to have won a Champions League medal with a non-English club, the other being two-time winner Steve McManaman
Steve McManaman
Steven McManaman is a retired English footballer who played as a midfielder, winger and playmaker. Having spent his playing career at two of European football's most successful clubs of the 20th century, Liverpool and Real Madrid, as well as a spell at Manchester City, McManaman is the most...
(who won the Champions League with Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
).
In the 2001–02 season Hargreaves established himself as a first team regular. He made 46 appearances in all, with the club finishing third in the Bundesliga, making the quarter finals of the Champions League and being defeated in the DFB Cup
DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
by Schalke
FC Schalke 04
Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...
. The club regained their Bundesliga title in 2002–03, along with the DFB Cup. On 26 January 2003, Hargreaves scored his first Bundesliga goal in the game against Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach is a German association football club based in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia. The team plays in the Bundesliga and is one of the country's most well-known, well-supported, and successful teams. Borussia Mönchengladbach has over 40,000 members and is the sixth...
. Altogether he made 25 Bundesliga appearances, four in Cup games and three in the Champions League.
2002–03 saw Hargreaves out injured on three separate occasions. In September he tore a thigh muscle, then in October a calf muscle. Towards the end of the season adductor problems meant he missed a further three weeks.
The 2003–04 season was Hargreaves' first with Bayern without winning any silverware. After clinching the double the year before, the Munich side finished second in the Bundesliga, and were knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid. Hargreaves made a total of 38 appearances for the club in this season. In 2004–05 he picked up another German championship and DFB Cup. He had 27 appearances in the Bundesliga (one goal), played in three Cup games (two goals) and eight Champions League games. In the 2005–06 season, he added another Bundesliga and Cup title. Hargreaves scored the first goal at the new Allianz Arena
Allianz Arena
The Allianz Arena is a football stadium in the north of Munich, Bavaria, Germany. The two professional Munich football clubs FC Bayern Munich and TSV 1860 München have played their home games at Allianz Arena since the start of the 2005–06 season...
in a competitive match on 5 August 2005, against Borussia Mönchengladbach. In all, he had 15 (one goal) league, four (two goals) cup and three Champions League appearances. In October 2005, he extended his contract at Bayern for another four years.
In the 2006–07 season, Hargreaves broke his leg, which kept him out of most of Bayern Munich's league campaign that season. He recovered in time to take part in Bayern's victory over Real Madrid in the Champions League, progressing after an aggregate score of 4–4 thanks to their two away goals in the 3–2 defeat in the first leg at Madrid's Bernabéu.
Manchester United
On 31 May 2007, it was announced that Hargreaves would join Manchester UnitedManchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
on 1 July 2007, after almost a year of negotiations between Bayern Munich and United for a fee of around £17 million. Hargreaves was finally unveiled as a Manchester United player on 1 July, having signed a four-year contract with the club. He was then revealed to the press on 9 July, along with fellow newcomer Nani
Nani
-People:*Nani, a Portuguese footballer who plays for Manchester United*Gianluca Nani, former technical director at West Ham United*Nanabhoy Palkhivala, nicknamed Nani, an Indian jurist and economist*Nani Roma, a Spanish rally racing driver...
. Hargreaves was given the number 4 shirt at Old Trafford.
Hargreaves made his Manchester United debut in a friendly against Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
on 4 August, coming on as a second half substitute in United's 3–1 victory. He made his first Premier League appearance in Manchester United's third game of the season, in the derby match away to Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
in a 1–0 defeat. Hargreaves scored his first league goal for Manchester United against Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
on 1 March, a free kick from just outside the penalty box. He scored his second league goal for the club on 13 April, a free kick winner against Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
. In his first season with Manchester United they won the Premier League and Champions League titles.
The start of Hargreaves' second season at United was hampered by injuries, specifically a recurring patellar tendinitis problem that restricted him to sporadic appearances in 2008–09. After trips to specialists in both London and Sweden yielded no results, Hargreaves travelled to Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, in November 2008 to visit renowned knee surgeon, Richard Steadman
Richard Steadman
J. Richard Steadman, M.D. is a specialist knee surgeon, practising in Vail, Colorado and a Clinical Professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. He is best known medically for his work in the area of microfracture surgery, and publicly for treating injured...
. Hargreaves underwent surgery on his right knee on 10 November 2008 and received a similar operation on his left knee in January 2009. However, this meant that Hargreaves would miss the remainder of the 2008–09 season, ultimately meaning he would miss out on a second Premier League title and a League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
winner's medal. Hargreaves underwent his rehabilitation programme in the United States, and was due to return to training with Manchester United at the Audi Cup
Audi Cup
The Audi Cup is a two-day pre-season football tournament that features four teams, and is staged at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, before the start of the Bundesliga season. The competition's first edition in 2009 was organised and promoted by car manufacturer Audi AG to celebrate their...
in Munich. However, upon assessment, it was decided that he should continue with his rehabilitation in the United States. Hargreaves returned to Manchester United on 23 September 2009, joined by his physiotherapist for a week to aid the transition process and for the club to understand his rehabilitation programme.
In January 2010, it was speculated that Hargreaves was initially slated to return in time for Manchester United's Champions League first knockout round tie against Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
, despite not being fully match-fit. However, on 4 February 2010, Hargreaves suffered a major setback to his World Cup hopes as Sir Alex Ferguson
Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...
omitted him from the squad for the knockout stage in favour of Belgian defender Ritchie De Laet. It was expected that Hargreaves would make his return from injury in a reserve team match against Manchester City on 11 March, but on the day of the match, Hargreaves pulled out of the game to continue with his training regime. He eventually made his comeback a week later, playing for 45 minutes of Manchester United's reserve team match against Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
on 18 March. On 24 April, Hargreaves was named as an unused substitute for the first-team match against Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
.
On 2 May 2010, Hargreaves made his Premier League return in the 93rd minute of United's penultimate game of the season against Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
. It was his first Premier League action since a 1–1 draw with Chelsea in September 2008, in which time he had missed 113 matches in 20 months. Despite this, Hargreaves missed the beginning of the 2010–11 season, having suffered another injury, for which he travelled to the United States to see a specialist. On September 24, manager Sir Alex Ferguson announced that Hargreaves had returned to training. On 6 November 2010, he made his first start since September 2008 against Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
, however it was short-lived after a hamstring injury forced his withdrawal for Bébé
Bébé
Bébé is a 2008 French comedy film written and directed by Clément Michel and starring Clément Michel, Marie Denarnaud, Olivier Clastre and Audrey Fleurot....
just five minutes into the match, which United went on to win 2–1.
On 22 May 2011, Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed that the club would not offer Hargreaves a new contract, sparking rumours about his subsequent retirement. His contract expired at the end of the 2010–11 season and he left the club, despite offering to play the 2011–12 season for free. Hargreaves later posted videos on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
of him exercising, in order to prove his fitness to potential clubs. Buoyed by Richard Steadman's optimistic assessment that Hargreave's knees, a source of injury for a number of years, could withstand the impact of 'jumping from the Eiffel Tower', a number of clubs including Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
, Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
, Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
, West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
, Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
, QPR
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
, Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
and "several MLS
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
clubs" were believed to be considering an offer for Hargreaves.
Manchester City
On 30 August 2011, Hargreaves was pictured supposedly having a medical with Manchester CityManchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
doctor Phillip Batty ahead of a move to City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
. The medical team at Manchester City were reportedly impressed by Hargreaves state of body as well as his state of mind. City had been looking for a replacement for Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira is a retired French footballer of Senegalese descent who is the Football Development Executive at Manchester City....
who retired the season before and an additional midfielder as Yaya Toure
Yaya Touré
Gnégnéri Yaya Touré , commonly known as Yaya Touré, is an Ivorian footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the Côte d'Ivoire national side...
will be absent during January 2012 because of the African Cup of Nations
African Cup of Nations
The Africa Cup of Nations, also referred to as the African Cup of Nations or African Nations Cup, officially CAN , is the main international association football competition in Africa. It is sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football , and was first held in 1957. Since 1968, it has been...
. They had earmarked Daniele De Rossi
Daniele De Rossi
Daniele De Rossi, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Roma. He is the current Roma's vice-captain and nicknamed as Capitan Futuro due to his high probabality as heir-apparent to Francesco Totti's captain armband.With Roma he has won the Coppa Italia...
, Fernando Gago and Mark Van Bommel
Mark van Bommel
Mark Peter Gertruda Andreas van Bommel is a Dutch footballer who currently plays for Milan and captains the Netherlands national team as a midfielder....
but when these approaches failed, City turned to Hargreaves - a player they had been looking at for a few months prior to their initial approach.
On 31 August 2011, Manchester City confirmed that they had signed Hargreaves on a one-year deal. It was expected Hargreaves would join West Brom Albion, but the Manchester City offer came as a surprise. The move offered Hargreaves an opportunity for Champions League football as the club look to challenge his previous club, Manchester United for the Premier League. However he was left out of the Champions League squad. Hargreaves made his Man City debut against Birmingham City in the League Cup, and opened the scoring in a 2-0 victory with a goal in the 17th minute.
International career
Born in Canada to a Welsh mother and an English father, Hargreaves was eligible to play international football for EnglandEngland national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
or Canada
Canada men's national soccer team
The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...
. As a youngster he was a regular in the youth setups of Wales, and was set to make his début for the Wales U21
Wales national under-21 football team
The Wales national under-21 football team, also known as the Wales U21s, is the national under-21 football team of Wales and is controlled by the Football Association of Wales. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...
team against the Belarus U21
Belarus national under-21 football team
The Belarus national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Belarus and is controlled by the Football Federation of Belarus. The team competes in the European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years.-History:...
team in September 2000 but pulled out of the squad after he was approached by England. On 31 August 2000, the then England U21
England national under-21 football team
England's national Under-21 football team, also known as England Under-21s or England U21, is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team....
manager, Howard Wilkinson
Howard Wilkinson
Howard Wilkinson is a former English football player and manager, and has recently stepped down as a Non-Executive Director at Sheffield Wednesday after formerly relinquishing the chairman role to Milan Mandaric...
, called the 19-year-old into his squad for the match against Georgia
Georgia national under-21 football team
The Georgian U-21 national football team is the football team representing Georgia in competitions for under-21 year old players.-Current squad :The following players were called up for the European Under-21 Football Championship...
. The game, played at the Riverside Stadium
Riverside Stadium
The Riverside Stadium is a football stadium in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England, which has been the home of Middlesbrough F.C. since it opened in 1995...
, Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
, ended in a 6–1 win for the home team. Further appearances for the U21s followed in friendlies against Italy
Italy national under-21 football team
The Italy national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Italy and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation.The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...
and Spain
Spain national under-21 football team
The Spain national under-21 football team, is the national under-21 football team of Spain and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation. The team, nicknamed La Rojita , competes in the biannual European Under-21 Football Championship.Following the realignment of UEFA's youth...
.
Hargreaves played his first full international game on 15 August 2001 against the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
at White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....
, giving him the distinction of being the only player to appear for England despite having never lived in England. He was also the second player (after Joe Baker
Joe Baker
Joseph Henry "Joe" Baker was an England international footballer. Born in Liverpool, England, he spent virtually his entire childhood growing up in Motherwell, Scotland...
) to have appeared for England without having played in English league football
English football league system
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for association football clubs in England, with six teams from Wales also competing...
and the first to appear for England without having played in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. In only his second cap he came on as a substitute as England famously beat Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
5–1 in the Olympiastadion
Olympic Stadium (Munich)
Olympiastadion is a stadium located in Munich, Germany. Situated at the heart of the Olympiapark München in northern Munich, the stadium was built as the main venue for the 1972 Summer Olympics....
. Hargreaves was the only player playing outside the Premier League to be selected for England's 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
squad. Hargreaves was injured after just fifteen minutes of England's second Group game against Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
and had to be substituted.
Although he had not usually been part of the first-team, he was selected for the England squads at Euro 2004 in Portugal and the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
in Germany despite criticism from sections of the press and public. The generally negative perception of him by English fans had not been helped by his seeming to have an essence of "German-ness", exacerbated by his Canadian accent and fluency in German. However, in a tournament in which England were generally regarded as having underachieved, he was, by the end of England's participation, widely considered one of the few successes of the English squad. He was named Man of the match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
in the quarter final against Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
, the game in which England were eliminated after a penalty shootout, Hargreaves having been the only successful English penalty taker. In 2006, he won both England Player of the Year, and England Player of the World Cup in official FA polls, the first to win both in the same year.
Hargreaves picked up the Man of the match award in England's 4–0 win over Greece on 16 August 2006. On 30 January 2007 he was voted England Player of the Year 2006, as voted for by visitors to the Official FA site.
In June 2007, FIFA announced that Hargreaves and Philipp Lahm
Philipp Lahm
Philipp Lahm is a German footballer who plays for Bayern Munich and Germany. Lahm is also the captain for both the national team and Bayern....
would visit South Africa in advance support for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
.
After his transfer to Manchester City, England coach Fabio Capello confirmed that Hargreaves still had an international career by saying "I hope he will be really good in the short-term for Manchester City and also for England."
International career statistics
| National team | Club | Season | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England England national football team The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first... |
Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups.... |
2001 | 2 | 0 |
| 2002 | 8 | 0 | ||
| 2003 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 2004 | 9 | 0 | ||
| 2005 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 2006 | 8 | 0 | ||
| 2007 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Manchester United Manchester United F.C. Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958... |
2008 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 42 | 0 | ||
Statistics accurate as of match played 6 November 2010
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Europe | OtherIncludes other competitive competitions, including the FA Community Shield FA Community Shield The Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition... , UEFA Super Cup, Intercontinental Cup Intercontinental Cup (football) The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores... , FIFA Club World Cup FIFA Club World Cup The FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations.The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000... |
Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups.... |
2000–01 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| 2001–02 | 29 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 49 | 0 | |
| 2002–03 | 25 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 2 | |
| 2003–04 | 25 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 2 | |
| 2004–05 | 27 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 3 | |
| 2005–06 | 16 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 3 | |
| 2006–07 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | |
| Total | 145 | 5 | 22 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 43 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 218 | 10 | |
| Manchester United Manchester United F.C. Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958... |
2007–08 | 23 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 2 |
| 2008–09 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2009–10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2010–11 2010–11 Premier League The 2010–11 Premier League was the 19th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2010–11 fixtures were released on 17 June 2010 at 09:00 BST. The season began on 14 August 2010, and ended on 22 May 2011... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 27 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 2 | |
| Manchester City Manchester City F.C. Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894... |
2011–12 2011–12 Premier League The 2011–12 Premier League is the twentieth season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2011–12 fixtures were announced on 17 June 2011 at 9:00 BST. The season began on 13 August 2011 and is due to end on 13 May 2012... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | |
| Career total | 173 | 7 | 25 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 52 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 260 | 13 | |
Statistics accurate as of match played 21 September 2011
Injury history
Hargreaves career has been affected by injuries, with the bulk of which forming in 2006, the year he won the award for England's best player at the 2006 World Cup. Hargreaves stated that he believed the bulk of his injury problems in 2007, when he returned from injury after breaking his leg. He felt that his muscle in his leg was weaker than before he sustained his broken leg, and initially Hargreaves ignored the aching and played on.It emerged by 2008 that Hargreaves was suffering from a problem with his patella tendon and this was eventually narrowed down to patellar tendinitis. Surgeon Richard Steadman
Richard Steadman
J. Richard Steadman, M.D. is a specialist knee surgeon, practising in Vail, Colorado and a Clinical Professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. He is best known medically for his work in the area of microfracture surgery, and publicly for treating injured...
stated that Hargreaves knees were in a worse state than any other he had come across in his 35 years of experience. After numerous operations on both his knees, Steadman said in September 2010 that Hargreaves' problems with his knees were over but Alex Ferguson refuted this. In November 2010, Hargreaves made his first start for Manchester United in 777 days, but limped off after six minutes.
In 2011, Manchester United did not renew his contract due to his injury troubles. Speculation rumbled about Hargreaves retiring due to his injuries but determined to prove himself, he uploaded YouTube videos of himself training to convince potential clubs of his fitness. His determination to carry on despite chronic injury has won him admirers.
After his move to Manchester City, Owen Hargreaves stated that he felt like "a guinea pig" during his time on the treatment table at Manchester United. He believed that his prolonged trouble with injuries were the revolutionary treatments he was forced to undergo in an effort to solve a problem he felt had been exacerbated by the injections. Sir Alex Ferguson has refuted these claims.
Club
Bayern Munich- BundesligaFußball-BundesligaThe Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
(4): 2000–01, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2005–06 - DFB-PokalDFB-PokalThe DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
(3): 2002–03, 2004–05, 2005–06 - DFB-LigapokalDFB-LigapokalThe DFB-Ligapokal, or German League Cup, was a German football competition that took place before the start of the Bundesliga season, featuring the top five teams of the previous Fußball-Bundesliga season and the winners of the DFB-Pokal in Germany...
(1): 2004 - UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
(1): 2000–012001 UEFA Champions League FinalThe 2001 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match that took place at San Siro in Milan, Italy, on 23 May 2001, to decide the winner of the 2000–01 UEFA Champions League. The match pitted Bayern Munich against Valencia. The match finished in a 1–1 draw, but Bayern clinched their fourth... - Intercontinental CupIntercontinental Cup (football)The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
(1): 20012001 Intercontinental CupThe 2001 Intercontinental Cup was a football match played on 27 November 2001 between Bayern Munich, winners of the 2000–01 UEFA Champions League, and defending champions Boca Juniors, winners of the 2001 Copa Libertadores. The match was played at the neutral venue of the National Stadium in Tokyo...
Manchester United
- Premier League (1): 2007–08Premier League 2007–08The 2007–08 Premier League season was the sixteenth since its establishment. The first matches of the season were played on 11 August 2007, and the season ended on 11 May 2008...
- UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
(1): 2007–082008 UEFA Champions League FinalThe 2008 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match that took place on Wednesday, 21 May 2008 at 20:45 CEST . The match was played at the Luzhniki Stadium, in Moscow, Russia, to determine the winner of the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League...
External links
- Profile at ManUtd.com
- Profile at StretfordEnd.co.uk
- Profile at UEFA.com
- Premier League profile
- YouTube channel