Owen Hargreaves facts for kids
Hargreaves playing for Manchester United in 2008
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Owen Lee Hargreaves | ||
| Date of birth | 20 January 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Calgary, Alberta, Canada | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1994–1997 | Calgary Foothills | ||
| 1997–1999 | Bayern Munich | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1999–2001 | Bayern Munich II | 26 | (6) |
| 2000–2007 | Bayern Munich | 145 | (5) |
| 2007–2011 | Manchester United | 27 | (2) |
| 2011–2012 | Manchester City | 1 | (0) |
| Total | 199 | (13) | |
| International career | |||
| 1998 | Wales U19 | 3 | (0) |
| 2000–2001 | England U21 | 3 | (0) |
| 2001–2008 | England | 42 | (0) |
| 2006 | England B | 1 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Owen Lee Hargreaves, born on January 20, 1981, is a former professional footballer. He played as a midfielder, known for his hard work and ability to win the ball. He started his youth career with Calgary Foothills in Canada. Later, he moved to Germany to play for Bayern Munich.
Hargreaves spent seven years with Bayern Munich. During this time, he won four German league titles and the 2000–01 UEFA Champions League. In 2007, he joined Manchester United. In his first season there, he won the Premier League and another UEFA Champions League title. However, injuries affected his time at Manchester United. He left the club in June 2011.
To show he was fit, Hargreaves even posted videos on YouTube. In August 2011, Manchester City offered him a one-year contract, which he accepted. But he only made four appearances for them before being released at the end of the season.
Owen Hargreaves was born in Canada. His mother was Welsh, and his father was English. This meant he could play for Canada, Wales, or England. He first played for the Wales under-19 team. Then, in 2000, he chose to play for the England under-21 team. The next year, he joined the senior England squad. He is unique because he is the only player to play for England without ever living in England.
Contents
Early Life and Interests
Owen Hargreaves was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He was the youngest of three children. His parents, Margaret and Colin Hargreaves, moved from the United Kingdom in the early 1980s. Owen's father played football for Bolton Wanderers as a youth. He also played for the Calgary Kickers in the Canadian Soccer League. Owen is the only one in his family born in Canada. His brother Darren and his mother were born in Wales. His other brother Neil and his father were born in England.
Growing up in North America, Owen enjoyed many sports. Besides football, he played basketball, ice hockey, and American football. His sports heroes were basketball legend Michael Jordan and American football player Deion Sanders.
Club Football Career
Playing for Bayern Munich
Hargreaves tried out for Bayern Munich in October 1996. He moved from Calgary Foothills to Bayern Munich on July 1, 1997, when he was 16. He played for the Under-19 team for two and a half years. After that, he spent nine months with the Amateur team. In 1998, his Under-19 team reached the final of the German Championship. They lost to Borussia Dortmund after a penalty shoot-out.
On August 12, 2000, Hargreaves played his first Bundesliga match. He came on as a substitute for Bayern Munich against Hertha Berlin. His first start was on September 16, 2000, against SpVgg Unterhaching. That season, Bayern Munich won the Bundesliga title. They also won the UEFA Champions League. Hargreaves started the final in central midfield. He is one of only three English players to win a Champions League medal with a non-English club. The others are Steve McManaman and Jude Bellingham.
In the 2001–02 season, Hargreaves became a regular player. He played 46 games in total. The club finished third in the Bundesliga. They reached the Champions League quarter-finals. They were also defeated in the DFB-Pokal by Schalke. Bayern Munich won the Bundesliga again in 2002–03. They also won the DFB-Pokal. On January 26, 2003, Hargreaves scored his first Bundesliga goal against Borussia Mönchengladbach.
During the 2002–03 season, Hargreaves had three injuries. In September, he tore a thigh muscle. In October, he injured a calf muscle. Later in the season, adductor problems kept him out for three weeks. Overall, he played 25 Bundesliga games, four Cup games, and three Champions League games.
The 2003–04 season was the first time Hargreaves did not win a trophy with Bayern. They finished second in the Bundesliga. They were knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid. Hargreaves played 38 games for the club that season.
In 2004–05, Hargreaves won another German championship and DFB-Pokal. He played 27 Bundesliga games, scoring one goal. He also played three Cup games, scoring two goals, and eight Champions League games. In the 2005–06 season, he won another Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal title. Hargreaves scored the first goal at the new Allianz Arena in a competitive match on August 5, 2005. This was against Borussia Mönchengladbach. He played 15 league games, scoring one goal. He also made four cup appearances, scoring two goals, and three Champions League appearances. In October 2005, he signed a new four-year contract with Bayern.
In the 2006–07 season, Hargreaves broke his leg. This injury kept him out of most of Bayern's league games. He recovered in time to play in Bayern's Champions League match against Real Madrid. Bayern won on away goals after a 4–4 total score. However, Bayern was knocked out in the quarter-finals by Milan. They finished fourth in the Bundesliga, missing out on Champions League football for the first time since 1996. In total, he played 145 top-flight matches in Germany for FC Bayern.
Joining Manchester United
On May 31, 2007, it was announced that Hargreaves would join Manchester United. This happened on July 1, 2007, after nearly a year of talks. The transfer fee was about £17 million. Hargreaves signed a four-year contract. He was introduced to the press on July 9, along with Nani. Hargreaves was given the number 4 shirt at Old Trafford.
Hargreaves played his first game for United in a friendly against Peterborough United. He came on as a substitute in a 3–1 win on August 4. His first Premier League game was in United's third match of the season. This was the Manchester derby against Manchester City, which United lost 1–0. Hargreaves scored his first league goal for United against Fulham on March 1. It was a free kick from outside the penalty box. He scored his second league goal on April 13, a winning free kick against Arsenal. In his first season with United, they won the Premier League and Champions League titles. In the Champions League final, Hargreaves played all 120 minutes. He started on the right side of midfield. He scored United's fourth penalty in the shootout as they beat Chelsea 6–5 on penalties.
The start of Hargreaves' second season at United was affected by injuries. A recurring patellar tendinitis problem limited him to only a few games in 2008–09. After seeing specialists in London and Sweden without success, Hargreaves went to Colorado, USA. In November 2008, he visited knee surgeon Richard Steadman. Hargreaves had surgery on his right knee on November 10. He had a similar operation on his left knee in January 2009. This meant he missed the rest of the 2008–09 season. He missed out on winning a second Premier League title. He also missed the League Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, and FA Community Shield winner's medals. Hargreaves did his recovery in the United States. He returned to the club on September 23, 2009.
In January 2010, it was thought Hargreaves might return for United's Champions League game against Milan. However, on February 4, Alex Ferguson left him out of the squad. Hargreaves was expected to play in a reserve team match on March 11. But he pulled out to continue his training. He finally made his comeback a week later, playing 45 minutes for United's reserve team against Burnley on March 18. On April 24, Hargreaves was an unused substitute for the first-team match against Tottenham Hotspur.
On May 2, 2010, Hargreaves returned to the Premier League. He played for three minutes in United's game against Sunderland. This was his first Premier League game since September 2008. He had missed 113 matches in 20 months. Despite this, Hargreaves missed the start of the 2010–11 season due to another injury. He went to the United States to see a specialist. On September 24, manager Ferguson announced that Hargreaves had returned to training. On November 6, 2010, he started his first game since September 2008 against Wolverhampton Wanderers. However, a hamstring injury forced him off after just five minutes. United went on to win 2–1.
On May 22, 2011, Ferguson confirmed that the club would not offer Hargreaves a new contract. His contract ended at the end of the 2010–11 season. He left the club, even though he offered to play the 2011–12 season for free. Hargreaves later posted videos on YouTube of himself training. He wanted to prove his fitness to other clubs. Richard Steadman, his surgeon, said Hargreaves' knees were strong enough. Several clubs considered signing him. In Ferguson's book, he called Hargreaves one of his most disappointing signings. In 2020, ESPN ranked his transfer to United as the 27th worst Premier League transfer.
Time at Manchester City
On August 30, 2011, Hargreaves was seen having a medical with Manchester City doctor Phillip Batty. City was looking for a new midfielder. They had tried to sign other players, but when those failed, they turned to Hargreaves.
On August 31, 2011, City confirmed they had signed Hargreaves on a one-year deal. The move gave Hargreaves a chance to play in the Champions League. He was left out of the Champions League squad, though. Hargreaves made his City debut against Birmingham City in the League Cup. He scored the first goal in a 2–0 win in the 17th minute. On April 27, 2012, it was confirmed he would be released at the end of the season. He had only made four appearances for the club. City won the Premier League, their first English title in 44 years. Hargreaves was part of the celebrations after they beat Queens Park Rangers on the final day. However, he did not play enough league games to get a winner's medal.
After leaving City, he trained with Queens Park Rangers. But he was not offered a contract by them.
International Football Career
Owen Hargreaves was born in Canada. His mother was Welsh, and his father was English. This meant he could play for England, Wales, or Canada. Hargreaves was not chosen for the Canada U-17 World Cup team. He later chose to play for England, which upset some soccer fans in Canada.
Playing for Wales
He played for Wales in the 1998 Milk Cup. Wales finished third in that tournament. He was supposed to play for the Wales U21 team in September 2000. However, he pulled out after England contacted him.
Playing for England
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On August 31, 2000, Howard Wilkinson, the England under-21 manager, called Hargreaves into his squad. This was for a match against Georgia. England won the game 6–1. Hargreaves also played for the under-21s in friendly matches against Italy and Spain.
Hargreaves played his first full international game for England on August 15, 2001. This was against the Netherlands at White Hart Lane. This made him the only player to play for England without ever living in England. He was also the second player to play for England without playing in English league football. In his second game, he came on as a substitute when England famously beat Germany 5–1 in Munich. Hargreaves was the only player not playing in the Premier League to be chosen for England's 2002 FIFA World Cup squad. He got injured early in England's second group game against Argentina and had to leave the match.
Even though he was not always a starter, he was picked for England's squads for Euro 2004 in Portugal and the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Some people and the press criticized this choice. They felt he seemed "German" because of his Canadian accent and fluent German. At Euro 2004, he played three times as a substitute. In the 2006 World Cup, he started England's last three matches. Many people thought he was one of the few successful players for England in that tournament. He was named Man of the match in the quarter-final against Portugal. England lost that game after a penalty shootout. Hargreaves was the only English player to score his penalty. In 2006, he won both England Player of the Year and England Player of the World Cup in official FA polls. He was the first to win both in the same year.
Hargreaves also won the Man of the Match award in England's 4–0 win over Greece on August 16, 2006. On January 30, 2007, he was voted England Player of the Year 2006 by visitors to the Official FA site.
In June 2007, FIFA announced that Hargreaves and Philipp Lahm would visit South Africa. This was to support the 2010 FIFA World Cup. After his move to Manchester City in 2011, England coach Fabio Capello hoped Hargreaves would get fit again.
Injury Challenges
Owen Hargreaves' career was greatly affected by injuries. Most of these problems started in 2006. This was the year he won the award for England's best player at the 2006 World Cup. Hargreaves believed his main injury problems began in 2007. This was when he returned after breaking his leg. He felt his leg muscle was weaker, but he kept playing despite the pain.
By 2008, it became clear that Hargreaves had a problem with his patella tendon. This was diagnosed as patellar tendinitis. Surgeon Richard Steadman said Hargreaves' knees were in a worse state than any he had seen in 35 years. After many operations on both knees, Steadman said in September 2010 that Hargreaves' knee problems were over. However, Alex Ferguson disagreed. In November 2010, Hargreaves started his first game for Manchester United in 777 days. But he had to leave the match after just six minutes due to a hamstring injury.
In 2011, Manchester United did not renew his contract because of his injuries. People thought Hargreaves might retire. But he was determined to prove himself. He uploaded YouTube videos of himself training to show clubs he was fit. His strong will to continue despite his ongoing injuries earned him respect.
After moving to Manchester City, Hargreaves said he felt like a "guinea pig" at Manchester United. He believed his long-term injury issues were due to new treatments he was given. He felt these treatments made his problems worse. Alex Ferguson has denied these claims.
Media Career
Owen Hargreaves now works as a football expert for TNT Sports. He covers the Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Champions League. He is also a Football Analyst on the news channel CNN. He covered the Euro 2016 competition in France.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | Ref. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Bayern Munich | 2000–01 | Bundesliga | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – | 20 | 0 | ||
| 2001–02 | Bundesliga | 29 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 49 | 0 | ||
| 2002–03 | Bundesliga | 25 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | – | 35 | 2 | |||
| 2003–04 | Bundesliga | 25 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | – | 35 | 2 | |||
| 2004–05 | Bundesliga | 27 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | – | 38 | 3 | |||
| 2005–06 | Bundesliga | 16 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 24 | 3 | |||
| 2006–07 | Bundesliga | 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 | 2007–08 | Premier League | 23 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 2 | |
| 2008–09 | Premier League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2009–10 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2010–11 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 27 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 2 | — | ||
| Manchester City | 2011–12 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 173 | 7 | 26 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 52 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 261 | 13 | — | ||
International Appearances
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 2001 | 2 | 0 |
| 2002 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2003 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 42 | 0 | |
Achievements and Awards
Bayern Munich
- Bundesliga: 2000–01, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2005–06
- DFB-Pokal (German Cup): 2002–03, 2004–05, 2005–06
- DFB-Ligapokal (German League Cup): 2000
- UEFA Champions League: 2000–01
- Intercontinental Cup: 2001
Manchester United
- Premier League: 2007–08
- UEFA Champions League: 2007–08
Individual Awards
- Bravo Award: 2001
- England Player of the Year: 2006
More to Explore
- List of England international footballers born outside England
- List of sportspeople who competed for more than one nation
See also
In Spanish: Owen Hargreaves para niños
