Top facts about Owen Hargreaves, The English Patient

(born January 20, 1981) is a former midfielder in the English Premier League. He was renowned as a "solid defensive midfielder" who "worked relentlessly to win the ball" and supply possession to his teammates.

Owen Hargreaves’ age

is 40. Here, you can find the most important facts about Owen Hargreaves, one of the best midfielders in the world.

Hargreaves won the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League in his first season. His tenure at

, however, was marred by injuries, and he was permitted to go when his contract expired in June 2011.

Hargreaves used YouTube videos to persuade prospective suitors of his fitness, and Manchester City offered Hargreaves a one-year deal in August 2011, which he accepted.

Hargreaves was eligible to represent Canada, Wales, or England since he was a Canadian citizen with a Welsh mother and an English father. Hargreaves began his career with Wales, earning three caps for the Wales under-19 team, but switched to England's under-21 team in 2000, where he was capped by the senior side the following year.

He is the only player to have played for England without ever having resided in the country, and just the second, after Joe Baker, to have done so without ever having played in an English football league.

Top facts about Owen Hargreaves:

The first fact about Owen Hargreaves is that he began his professional football career in Germany with Bayern Munich after playing for the Calgary Foothills as a kid.

Hargreaves joined Manchester United in 2007 after seven years at Bayern Munich, where he won four German league championships and the UEFA Champions League in 2000–01.

Owen Hargreaves early life

Speaking about

Owen Hargreaves’ parents

, it should be mentioned that Margaret and Colin Hargreaves emigrated from the United Kingdom to Canada in the early 1980s, and Owen was born in Calgary, Alberta, as the youngest of three children.

His father was a member of the Bolton Wanderers youth team as well as the Canadian Soccer League's Calgary Kickers. Regarding

Owen Hargreaves’ childhood

, it is worth mentioning that he is the only member of his family that was born in Canada; his brother Darren and mother are both Welsh, while his other brother Neil and father are English.

A notable fact about Owen Hargreaves is that he grew up in North America, where he largely watched and played basketball, ice hockey, and American football. Basketball great Michael Jordan and American football player Deion Sanders were two of his athletic idols. He didn't start playing football seriously until he was 15 years old.

Owen Hargreaves professional career

Owen Hargreaves' career was cut short through injury. He moved at the age of 16 from Calgary Foothills to

on 1st July 1997 whereas he played in his first Bundesliga match against Hertha Berlin on 12th August 2000. His first start came against SpVgg Unterhaching on 16th September 2000.

He played his first full international game on 15th August 2001 against the Netherlands at White Hart Lane.

Owen Hargreaves club career

On July 1, 1997, Hargreaves went from Calgary Foothills to Bayern Munich at the age of 16. He spent two and a half years with the Under-19 squad before spending nine months with the Amateur team.

In 1998, the squad reached the final of the German Championship with the Under-19s. They were defeated by Borussia Dortmund in the final, but only after a penalty shootout at

's Stadion Rote Erde.

Bayern Munich

A notable

fact about Owen Hargreaves

is that he made his Bundesliga debut against Hertha Berlin on August 12, 2000, coming in as a late replacement for Carsten Jancker in the 83rd minute.

On September 16, 2000, he made his debut against SpVgg Unterhaching. The team won the Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions League that season, with Hargreaves starting the final in center midfield.

Along with two-time champion Steve McManaman (who won the Champions League with

in 1999–2000 and 2001–02), Hargreaves is one of just two English players to have won a Champions League medal with a non-English team.

Hargreaves established himself as a first-team regular in the 2001–02 season. In all, he made 46 games for the team, which finished third in the Bundesliga, advanced to the Champions League quarterfinals, and was upset by Schalke in the DFB-Pokal.

In 2002–03, the team reclaimed the Bundesliga championship as well as the DFB-Pokal. Hargreaves scored his first Bundesliga goal against

on January 26, 2003.

An important fact about Owen Hargreaves is that he was injured three times in 2002–03. He tore a thigh muscle in September and a calf muscle in October. He missed three more weeks at the conclusion of the season due to adductor difficulties. He appeared in 25 Bundesliga games, four Cup games, and three Champions League games.

Hargreaves' first season at Bayern was his first without any trophies. The Bavarian team finished second in the Bundesliga and were knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid the year before, after winning the double the year before. This season, Hargreaves made a total of 38 appearances for the club.

Hargreaves won another German title and the DFB-Pokal in 2004–05. He made 27 Bundesliga matches (one goal), three Cup games (two goals), and eight Champions League outings. In the 2005–06 season, he won the Bundesliga and the

for the second time.

On August 5, 2005, Hargreaves scored the first goal in a competitive match in the new Allianz Arena, against Borussia Mönchengladbach.

He appeared in 15 league games (one goal), four cup games (two goals), and three Champions League games. He renewed his contract with Bayern for another four years in October 2005.

Hargreaves fractured his leg in the 2006–07 season, forcing him to miss the most of Bayern's league campaign.

He recovered in time to play in Bayern's Champions League triumph against Real Madrid, which saw them advance with a 4–4 aggregate score courtesy to their two away goals in the 3–2 loss in the first leg at Madrid's Estadio Santiago Bernabéu.

Bayern, on the other hand, was eliminated in the quarter-finals by Milan and finished fourth in the Bundesliga, losing out on the Champions League for the first time since 1996. In all, he appeared in 145 top-flight matches for FC Bayern Munich in Germany.

Manchester United

After almost a year of discussions between Bayern Munich and United, it was reported on May 31, 2007, that Hargreaves will join Manchester United on July 1, 2007, for a cost of roughly £17 million.

Hargreaves made his United debut on July 1st, after signing a four-year deal with the club. On July 9, he and fellow newcomer Nani were presented to the press. At Old Trafford, Hargreaves was handed the number 4 jersey.

Hargreaves made his United debut against Peterborough United in a friendly on August 4th, coming in as a second-half replacement in a 3–1 triumph.

He made his Premier League debut in United's third match of the season, a 1–0 loss to

in a derby encounter. On March 1, Hargreaves scored his first league goal for United, a free kick from just beyond the penalty area, against Fulham.

On the 13th of April, he scored his second league goal for the club, a free kick winner against

. United won the Premier League and the Champions League in his first season with the club.

An important

fact about Owen Hargreaves

is that he started on the right side of midfield in the Champions League final and scored United's fourth penalty of the shootout as United defeated Chelsea 6–5 on penalties.

Hargreaves' second season at United was derailed by injury, with a recurring patellar tendinitis issue limiting him to sporadic appearances in 2008–09. Hargreaves traveled to Colorado, USA, in November 2008 to see famous knee surgeon Richard Steadman after travels to experts in both London and Sweden showed no results.

On November 10th, Hargreaves had surgery on his right knee, and in January 2009, he had surgery on his left knee. However, he would miss the rest of the 2008–09 season, denying him a second Premier League championship as well as League Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, and FA Community Shield winner's medals.

Hargreaves completed his recuperation in the United States and was set to return to training with United in Munich for the Audi Cup. However, after further evaluation, it was determined that he should continue his recovery in the United States.

Hargreaves returned to the club on September 23, 2009, for a week with his physiotherapist to help with the transition and for the club to have a better understanding of his recovery program.

Hargreaves was expected to return in time for United's Champions League first knockout phase clash against Milan in January 2010, despite not being entirely match-fit.

However, on February 4, Hargreaves' dreams of participating in the 2010 FIFA World Cup were dashed as

left him out of the knockout stage team in favor of Belgian defender Ritchie De Laet.

A notable fact about Owen Hargreaves is that he was supposed to make his comeback from injury in a reserve team match against Manchester City on March 11th, but he dropped out on the day of the match to complete his training program.

A week later, on March 18, he made his return for United's reserve team against

, playing 45 minutes. Hargreaves was an unused substitute for the first-team encounter against Tottenham Hotspur on April 24.

Hargreaves returned to the Premier League in the 93rd minute of United's last game of the season against Sunderland on May 2, 2010.

He hadn't played in the Premier League since a 1–1 draw with Chelsea in September 2008, a period in which he had missed 113 games in 20 months.

Despite this, Hargreaves missed the start of the 2010–11 season due to an injury that required him to go to the United States to visit a specialist. Hargreaves returned to training on September 24, according to boss Ferguson.

He earned his first start since September 2008 against Wolverhampton Wanderers on November 6, 2010, although it was short-lived as a hamstring injury caused him to be replaced by Bébé only five minutes into the game, which United won 2–1. Ferguson said on May 22, 2011, that Hargreaves will not be offered a new contract by the club.

Despite agreeing to play the 2011–12 season for free, his contract expired at the conclusion of the 2010–11 season, and he departed the club. Hargreaves then released videos of himself working out on YouTube to demonstrate his fitness to interested clubs.

Following Richard Steadman's optimistic assessment that Hargreaves' knees, which had been a source of injury for a number of years, could withstand the impact of 'jumping from the Eiffel Tower,' a number of clubs, including Bolton Wanderers, Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, and Leicester City, have expressed interest in signing him.

West Bromwich Albion is a football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. Nottingham Forest (n.d.) Queens Park Rangers, Rangers, and "several MLS clubs," were all thought to be interested in Hargreaves. Ferguson referred to Hargreaves as "one of his most disappointing signings" in his autobiography, which was published in 2013.

His transfer to United was ranked as the 27th worst Premier League transfer of all time by ESPN in 2020.

Manchester City

A notable fact about Owen Hargreaves is that he was seen on August 30, 2011, allegedly getting a physical with Manchester City doctor Phillip Batty in preparation for a transfer to the club.

Hargreaves' physical and mental status were apparently very impressive to City's medical experts. City had been seeking for a successor for

, who had retired the previous season, as well as an extra midfielder owing to Yaya Touré's expected absence during the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations in January 2012.

When their initial approaches to

, Fernando Gago, and Mark van Bommel failed, City turned to Hargreaves, a player they had been eyeing for a few months prior to their initial approach. On August 31, 2011, City announced that Hargreaves had signed a one-year contract with the club.

Hargreaves was expected to join West Bromwich Albion, but the City offer was unexpected.

The move provided Hargreaves with a chance to play in the Champions League as the club aimed to challenge United for the Premier League title.

He was, however, omitted from the Champions League team. Hargreaves made his City debut in the League Cup against

, scoring in the 17th minute to give City a 2–0 victory.

After only four appearances for the club, it was announced on April 27, 2012 that he would be released at the end of the season.

City would go on to win the Premier League for the first time in 44 years, with Hargreaves taking part in the on-field celebrations after beating Queens Park Rangers on the final day.

He did not, however, qualify for a winner's medal after just playing one league match all season. He trained with Queens Park Rangers after his release, but the club did not offer him a contract.

Owen Hargreaves international career

Hargreaves, who was born in Canada to a Welsh mother and an English father, was eligible to play for England, Wales, or Canada in international football.

Hargreaves aroused the wrath of Canadian football fans by opting to play for England. After being courted by the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2010, one fansite went so far as to demand that the three Canadian MLS clubs (Montreal Impact, Toronto FC, and Vancouver Whitecaps) never sign Hargreaves to play for them.

A notable fact about Owen Hargreaves is that he competed for Wales in the 1998 Milk Cup, finishing third behind Turkey and Northern Ireland but first ahead of Russia.

In September 2000, he was supposed to make his debut for Wales U21 team against Belarus U21 team, but he withdrew out because England contacted him.

Howard Wilkinson, the then-manager of England's under-21 team, summoned the 19-year-old into his squad for the match against Georgia on August 31, 2000.

The game, which took place at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium, ended in a 6–1 victory for the home team. Following that, the under-21s made appearances in friendly against Italy and Spain.

Hargreaves made his full international debut against the Netherlands at White Hart Lane on August 15, 2001, making him the only player to play for England despite never having lived in the country.

He was also the second player (after Joe Baker) to play for England without ever having played in an English league and the first to play for England without ever having played in the United Kingdom.

He was only given his second cap when England famously defeated Germany 5–1 at the Olympiastadion. Hargreaves was the only non-Premier League player to be named to England's FIFA World Cup squad in 2002. Hargreaves was forced to leave England's second group game against Argentina after only fifteen minutes due to injury.

Despite criticism from the press and public, he was selected for England squads at Euro 2004 in Portugal and the 2006 World Cup in Germany despite not being a regular first-team player.

His appearance to have an element of "German-ness," heightened by his Canadian accent and proficiency in German, did not assist his largely bad image among English fans.

Hargreaves was in the starting lineup for England's last three matches in 2006, after just making three appearances as a substitute at Euro 2004. In a tournament when England was largely viewed as underachieving, he was widely recognized as one of the English squad's few achievements towards the conclusion of their participation.

Hargreaves was selected Man of the Match in the quarter-final against Portugal, in which England was eliminated following a penalty shootout, with Hargreaves being the only English penalty taker to score.

He was the first player to win both England Player of the Year and England Player of the World Cup in the same year, in official FA polls.

Hargreaves was named Man of the Match in England's 4–0 victory against Greece on August 16, 2006. He was selected England Player of the Year 2006 by visitors to the Official FA website on January 30, 2007.

Hargreaves and Philipp Lahm will visit South Africa in anticipation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, FIFA announced in June 2007.

"I think he will be incredibly excellent in the short term for Manchester City and also for England," England coach

said after Hargreaves' signing to Manchester City in 2011.

Owen Hargreaves injuries

Hargreaves' career was hampered by injuries, the most of which began in 2006, the same year he was named England's finest player at the World Cup.

Hargreaves indicated that the most of his injury issues occurred in 2007, when he returned from injury after a leg break. Hargreaves saw that his leg muscle was weaker than it had been before he fractured it, but he disregarded the pain and continued playing.

By 2008, it was clear that Hargreaves had an issue with his patella tendon, which was subsequently diagnosed as patellar tendinitis.

Hargreaves' knees were in worse shape than any other he had seen in his 35 years of practice, according to surgeon Richard Steadman. Steadman claimed in September 2010 that Hargreaves' knee troubles were resolved after several procedures on both knees, however Alex Ferguson contradicted this.

Hargreaves made his first start for Manchester United in 777 days in November 2010, but hobbled off after just six minutes.

Due to his injury problems, Manchester United did not extend his contract in 2011. Hargreaves was expected to retire owing to his injuries, but he was eager to prove himself, posting YouTube videos of himself working to persuade prospective clubs of his health. His perseverance in the face of chronic injury garnered him fans.

Hargreaves revealed after his departure to Manchester City that his time on the treatment table at Manchester United made him feel like a "guinea pig."

He claimed that the innovative therapies he was obliged to endure in order to remedy a condition he believed had been aggravated by the injections were to blame for his long-term injury problems.  These allegations have been refuted by Sir Alex Ferguson.

Owen Hargreaves failed United potentials

Nobody epitomizes football's what-if storylines better than former Manchester United and England player Owen Hargreaves.

Hargreaves had come to popularity with Bayern Munich, capturing the world's attention during their brilliant Champions League campaign in 2000-01.

But it wasn't until the 2006 World Cup that he really endeared himself to England fans – and drew Sir Alex Ferguson's attention.

Ferguson, on the other hand, had to wait and didn't get his man until the summer of 2007 for a reputed £17 million charge.

United supporters had great hopes for Hargreaves, hoping that he would be the man to fill the vacancy left by Roy Keane in the center of the field.

And he made an immediate impact at Old Trafford, exerting himself on his opponents and playing a key part in Ferguson's United.

His all-action performances instantly earned him a fan following, as he worked ceaselessly like a ball of energy while also providing dynamic and drive to United's lineup.

When United won the league in 2008,

and

stole the show, but Hargreaves' role in allowing them to cause havoc in the final third should not be underestimated.

He also had a fantastic free-kick and the courage to steal a set-piece away from Ronaldo before scoring a historic goal against Arsenal.

Hargreaves went on to play a significant part in England's Champions League run, appearing in the whole 120-minute final against Chelsea in Moscow in 2008.

His experience in Germany definitely paid dividends in the shootout, as he maintained his cool to hit the precise penalty past Petr Cech and help United win their third European Cup.

Hargreaves had only been at the club for a year, but he'd already fulfilled his promise to Ferguson by becoming the missing piece in United's jigsaw.

Hargreaves should've had his finest years ahead of him at 27 years old. But, at Old Trafford, that season was the best he'd ever had.

Despite making 34 appearances for United in all competitions during the 2007-08 season, Hargreaves was forced to miss the next season due to a persistent knee problem.

He was finally diagnosed with a severe type of tendinitis, which necessitated significant surgery from which the midfielder never fully recovered.

The first-team outings of Hargreaves for United quickly became collectibles. He sat in the stands for the most of the following three years.

In actuality, he only played 177 minutes for United in four appearances between the 2008 Champions League final and October 2010.

Hargreaves had the ability to be one of the finest midfielders in the world, but his body brutally wrecked his career and stopped him from realizing his full potential.

Ferguson could no longer depend on the injury-prone star, but United were hesitant to abandon him because of his apparent abilities.

And then, just when everyone had given up hope of Hargreaves returning to action, he made his long-awaited return against Wolves in November 2010.

He was had to be replaced after sustaining a torn hamstring only five minutes into the game. It was as if the midfielder was made of glass, ready to shatter at the least provocation.

United's risk had backfired spectacularly, and their patience had now run out. Hargreaves' five-minute cameo proved to be his last appearance for the club.

Hargreaves' stint at United came to an end in a sour and confrontational manner when his contract ended in 2011 and he publicly chastised the club's medical team.

In 2011, he told The Guardian, "I've had to be a guinea pig for a lot of these therapies." "However, when you're left to attempt to make the most of a bad situation, saying, 'Let's wait it out and relax for six months,' isn't really an option."

"We treated it, and the shots made it substantially worse." Obviously, this had a significant influence. I was basically left to pick up the pieces, which was quite aggravating."

Hargreaves used YouTube recordings of himself working hard at the gym to try to persuade possible new employers of his fitness.

Surprisingly, it seemed to work, as Manchester City decided to take a chance on Hargreaves and gave him a one-year deal.

He scored in his City debut in a League Cup encounter, and he seemed to be on the verge of resuming his career at the Etihad, but it turned out to be another false dawn.

Hargreaves made only three more appearances for City before retiring at the age of 31, despite the fact that his career had basically finished four years earlier.

Hargreaves' career is now remembered more for his injury troubles than for his footballing talent, and it's tempting to see his career as a sad narrative of what might have been.

He did, however, win everything with Bayern Munich and Manchester United. He should be recognized for what he did achieve, not for what he didn't do. He was unquestionably a world-class talent until injuries took their toll.

Some quick facts about Owen Hargreaves:

Hargreaves began his football career at Calgary Foothills before joining Bayern Munich's youth ranks in 1997. After outgrowing his youth, he was promoted to the amateur team in the summer of 2000, where he played 15 regional league games and scored four goals in the 2000/01 season.

Hargreaves made his senior football debut in 1999/2000, appearing in eleven games in what was then the third division.

On August 12, 2000 (1st matchday), he made his professional team debut as a substitute in the 73rd minute for Carsten Jancker in a 4-1 home win against Hertha BSC.

In the same season, he drew media attention when he came in for the suspended Stefan Effenberg in the Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid, far outperforming expectations.

He played 120 minutes in the final against

and thus helped his team win the Champions League in 2001. On January 26, 2003 (matchday 18), he scored his first Bundesliga goal in a 3-0 home win over Borussia Mönchengladbach, making it 1-0 in the 25th minute.

Hargreaves' contract with FC Bayern Munich was extended in October 2005 until June 30, 2010. According to media reports, Manchester United offered Hargreaves €25 million in August 2006, followed by €30 million in December, and he considered moving to England. Bayern, on the other hand, insisted on contract compliance and refused to release it.

FC Bayern finally agreed with Manchester United on a transfer fee of 25 million euros in May 2007, the highest transfer fee paid for a Bundesliga player up to that point.

Hargreaves agreed to a four-year deal. Although Hargreaves had not yet signed a contract, the English confirmed the transfer to July 1, 2007.

On the same day, FC Bayern announced the switch on its website, confirming a "transfer fee [...] at a Bundesliga record level." He won the Premier League and the Champions League with Manchester United in 2008.

The knee problems that had occurred at Hargreaves the previous season worsened shortly after the start of the following 2008/09 season, in which Hargreaves played only two league games.

After two unsuccessful operations in London and Sweden, he was treated by American specialist Richard Steadman in November 2008 and underwent another operation in January 2009.

As a result, he was not used for the remainder of the season and only returned to Manchester for a week at the end of September 2009 as part of his rehabilitation program in the United States.

An important fact about Owen Hargreaves is that he came on in the 90th minute as a substitute for

in the 1-0 away win against Sunderland AFC on 2 May 2010 (37th matchday) and returned to the field after around 21 months.

After another injury layoff, he played for the first time since September 2008 on November 6, 2010 (11th day), in a 3-2 win at home against Wolverhampton Wanderers, but had to be replaced after ten minutes due to a thigh injury.

This was to be his final game for Manchester, as Alex Ferguson confirmed to the Mail on Sunday on May 22, 2011, that Hargreaves' contract at Manchester United would not be extended.

Manchester City, a league and city rival, announced Hargreaves' commitment on August 31, 2011, and gave him a contract until June 30, 2012. On September 21, 2011, he scored the opening goal in a 2-0 win over Birmingham City in the League Cup; it was his only competitive goal for the Citizens.

Hargreaves' contract was terminated prematurely by the club in May 2012, after only four appearances (in three competitions) during the season. He played his final league game on November 15, 2011 (8th matchday) in a 4-1 home win over Aston Villa, and his football career ended on June 30, 2012.

An important

fact about Owen Hargreaves

is that he made his international debut on August 31, 2000, when the Under-21s defeated Georgia 6-1 in Middlesbrough. This was followed by two more international test appearances against Italy and Spain.

On 15 August 2001, he made his senior international debut, losing 2-0 to the Netherlands in a friendly international match in London.

He had his second mission on September 1, 2001, in Munich's Olympic Stadium, in a 5-1 win over Germany in a World Cup qualifier, when he came on in the 78th minute for Steven Gerrard. At the 2002 World Cup, Hargreaves was the only "Legionnaire" in the senior squad.

He also competed in the 2004 European Championships in Portugal as well as the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

Although his nomination was contentious (he suspected it was because he plays in Germany and was born in Canada), he was named the best English World Cup player at the end of the tournament.

Because of his strong performances, particularly in the quarterfinals against

(which defeated England on penalties, with only Owen Hargreaves converting his penalty), he was rehabilitated after the World Cup when the media and fans publicly apologized for their earlier harsh criticism of Hargreaves.

He temporarily took over the number 7 jersey from David Beckham, who had since retired. On May 28, 2008, he played his final international match, a 2-0 victory over the United States in London.

Following his career as a professional footballer, he went on to work as a television commentator, commentating on football matches for the BT Sports channel.

Owen Hargreaves social media

Regarding

Owen Hargreaves social media

, it should be mentioned that he does not have any pages on any social media platforms.

Owen Hargreaves body measurements

Speaking about

Owen Hargreaves body measurements

, it should be mentioned that he is 180cm and 76kg.

Owen Hargreaves net worth and salary

Owen Hargreaves' net worth

is estimated to be around $5 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.

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