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→‎Trivia: He plays for England because his father is English.{{fact}} - I thought a UK national born overseas could play for any home nation?
 
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{{Football player infobox| playername= Owen Hargreaves
name = Memphis Championship Wrestling |
| image = Memphis-mcw[[Image:Owen Hargreaves.jpg |center|175px|Owen Hargreaves]]
| fullname = Owen Lee Hargreaves
acronym = MCW |
| nickname =
established = [[20 February]], [[2000]] |
| dateofbirth = [[January 20]], [[1981]]
style = |
| locationcityofbirth = [[Memphis, TennesseeCalgary]] |
| countryofbirth = [[Canada]]
founder = |
| ownercurrentclub = [[TerryBayern GoldenMunich]] |
| parentclubnumber = |23
| position = [[Midfielder]]
sister = |
| youthyears = [[1994]]-[[1997|97]]<br>1997-[[2000]]
formerly = |
| youthclubs = [[Calgary Foothills SC]]<br>[[Bayern Munich youth system|Bayern Munich]]
merged = |
| years = 2000-
| clubs = [[Bayern Munich]]
| caps(goals) = 129(5)
| nationalyears = [[2001]] -
| nationalteam = [[England National Football Team|England]]
| nationalcaps(goals) = 34 (0)
| pcupdate = [[February 23]] [[2006]]
| ntupdate = [[1 July]] [[2006]]
}}
'''Owen Lee Hargreaves''' (born [[20 January]] [[1981]] in [[Calgary, Alberta|Calgary]], [[Alberta]], [[Canada]]) is a [[football (soccer)|footballer]] who plays in [[midfielder|midfield]] for [[Bayern Munich]] and [[England national football team]].
 
==Background==
'''Memphis Championship Wrestling''' ('''MCW''') was a [[professional wrestling promotion]] ran by [[Terry Golden]], based in [[Memphis, Tennessee]]. The promotions first event was on [[20 February]], [[2000]], active up until mid-[[2001]]. It was also a [[World Wrestling Federation]] (WWF) developmental territory. As such, the roster was made up primarily with their up-and-coming wrestlers or WWF ones coming back from injury.
Owen Hargreaves is the youngest of three children born to Margaret and Colin Hargreaves, who emigrated to [[Canada]] in the early [[1980s]] from the [[United Kingdom]]. He grew up in the south western part of [[Calgary]], and attended Glenbrook Elementary, Andrew Sibbald Elementary and Nickle Junior High. He left the last of these at the age of fourteen. For the next two years he was a pupil at [[Lord Beaverbrook High School]].
 
Hargreaves first played [[football (soccer)]] at the age of five. His first team were known as the "Peanuts". He inherited some of his talent for the game from his father, who played in midfield for [[Bolton Wanderers F.C.|Bolton Wanderers]] and [[Wigan Athletic F.C.|Wigan Athletic]] in the English League.
Memphis Championship Wrestling's [[television]] show ''Unleashed!'' aired on local [[UPN]] affiliate [[WLMT-TV|WLMT]] every Saturday morning at 11:00 am and early Sunday morning at 1:30 am. The show was hosted by [[Lance Russell]] and [[David Jett]], with [[Kevin Kelly (professional wrestling)|Kevin Kelly]] also later hosting.
 
==Downfall Career==
===Club===
During June, [[2001]], it emerged that World Wrestling Federation had dropped Memphis Championship Wrestling as their developmental territory. Several of the wrestlers - [[Bryan Danielson|American Dragon]], [[Christian York]], [[Jason Arhndt|Joey Abs]], [[Adam Birch|Joey Matthews]], [[Rodney Leinhardt|Rodrageous]], [[Shooter Schultz]] and [[Brian Kendrick|Spanky]] - had also been dropped from their WWF contracts.
====Calgary Foothills FC====
Hargreaves was first discovered as a football talent by long-time Calgary coach Larry Poirier, who coached the under-12 Cedar Ridge Jacks that Hargreaves joined. At under-14 level the Cedar Ridge Jacks amalgamated with a team called [[Calgary Foothills FC]]. The new head coach of this team was [[Burk Kaiser]], a one-time Canadian international, who introduced a new system to the team.
 
Hargreaves played in a number of positions, primarily in attack. In that season he scored 23 goals for the under-14s. In the summer of 1994 he was the only player from that under-14 team to be called up to represent Alberta at under-15 level. The Calgary Foothills won the national under-15 title the following year. Thomas Niendorf often helped Burk Kaiser prepare the side for tournaments in 1995. At about this time [[Harald Hoppe]], a one-time junior coach at [[FC Bayern Munich]], was visiting Thomas Niendorf. Hoppe soon noticed Hargreaves and made contact with FC Bayern. Following a trial in October 1996 Hargreaves joined FC Bayern's junior team in July [[1997]].
With the remaining WWF developmental talent - Steve Bradley, [[Lisa Marie Varon|Victoria]], [[Lance Cade]], [[The Island Boyz]] ([[Eddie Fatu|Ekmo]] & [[Matt Anoai|Kimo]]), and the Haas Brothers ([[Charlie Haas|Charlie]] & [[Russ Haas|Russ]]) - now being reassigned from Memphis, to [[Heartland Wrestling Association]], in [[Cincinnati, Ohio]] - it left the promotion with little or no wrestling talent left for the business to run.
 
====FC Bayern Munich====
The subsequent MCW television show was made up of candid interviews with many of the departing talents. Soon, these television shows would be made up of old replays and over the coming months it was eventually dropped by the television station.
Owen Hargreaves moved at the age of sixteen from Calgary Foothills to [[FC Bayern Munich]] on [[1 July]], 1997. Hargreaves played in the Under-19 team for two and a half years before spending six months with the amateur team. Whilst 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 Rote-Erde Stadium.
 
On [[August 12]], 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 September 16 of the same year.
==Elsewhere==
That season proved to be a triumphant one for [[Bayern Munich]]; the club were [[Bundesliga]] champions and also claimed the Champions League crown. Hargreaves's performances in the Champions League semi final against [[Real Madrid]] put him in the international spotlight as he showed he was capable of holding his own against the likes of [[Roberto Carlos da Silva|Roberto Carlos]] and [[Luís Figo]].
Another promotion called simply '''[[Memphis Wrestling]]''' opened in [[2003]]. It airs on the same television station, and the same regional title belts are also up for grabs. Unlike MCW, the promotion is not currently a WWE developmental territory but does have good relations with them as several contracted WWE wrestlers have appeared on their arena shows.
 
In the 2001/2002 season Hargreaves established himself as a first team regular, making 46 appearances in all. In spite of setbacks for the club in the form of a third place finish in the Bundesliga, a quarter final appearance in the Champions League and a Cup defeat by [[Schalke 04]], the season proved to be a decisive one for Hargreaves as he emerged as a key player of the team.
==Championships==
*[[AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship|MCW Southern Heavyweight Championship]]
*[[MCW Southern Tag Team Championship]]
*[[MCW Television Championship]]
*[[MCW Hardcore Championship]]
*[[MCW Light Heavyweight Championship]]
 
2002/2003 saw Hargreaves celebrate another domestic success as Bayern won the Bundesliga title and the [[DFB Cup]]. On [[January 26]] 2003, Hargreaves scored his first Bundesliga goal in the game against [[Borussia Mönchengladbach]]. Unfortunately, the season also saw him 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 canal|adductor]] problems meant he missed a further three weeks. He racked up 25 Bundesliga appearances, 4 Cup games and 3 matches in the Champions League.
==Wrestlers that appeared in MCW==
 
*[[Brian Danielson|American Dragon]]
The 2003/2004 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.
*[[William Crookshanks|Bill Dundee]]
 
*[[Cynthia Lynch|Bobcat]]
In 2004/05 he picked up another German championship and DFB Cup. He had 27 appearances in the Bundesliga (1 goal), played in 3 Cup games (2 goals)and 8 Champions League games.
*[[Brian Lawler|Brian Christopher]]
 
*[[Charlie Haas]]
In the 2005/06 season, he added another Bundesliga and Cup title. He had 15 (1 goal) league, 4 (2) cup and 3 CL appearances.
*[[Chris Benoit]]
His Bundesliga goal was the first of the season.
*[[Christian York]]
 
*[[Mike Lockwood|Crash Holly]]
In October of 2005, he extended his contract at Bayern for another four years, i.e. to June 30, 2010.
*[[Curtis Hughes]]
 
*[[Dawn Marie Psaltis|Dawn Marie]]
====International Career====
*[[Derrick King]]
Hargreaves was eligible to play international football for any one of the [[Home nations]] or for [[Canada national football team|Canada]], and had he not accepted selection at the time he did, would soon have been eligible for [[Germany national football team|Germany]] under residency rules. On [[August 31]] [[2000]], the then [[England national under-21 football team|England under-21]] manager, [[Howard Wilkinson]] called the 19-year-old into his squad for the match against {{nftu21|Georgia}}. The game, played at the [[Riverside Stadium]], [[Middlesbrough]], ended in a 6-1 win for the home team. Further appearances for the Under-21s followed in friendlies against {{nftu21|Italy}} and {{nftu21|Spain}}.
*[[David Lauer|Downtown Bruno]]
 
*[[Dudley Boyz]]
Hargreaves's international commitment to England was sealed when he first played a full international game on [[August 15]], [[2001]] against the [[Netherlands national football team|Netherlands]] at [[White Hart Lane]]. Hargreaves was the only player plying his trade outside the [[FA Premier League|Premier League]] to be selected for England's [[2002 World Cup]] squad. Hargreaves was injured after just fifteen minutes of England's second Group game against [[Argentina national football team|Argentina]] and had to be substituted.
*[[Eddie Fatu|Ekmo]]
 
*[[Lisa Moretti|Ivory]]
Although he had not usually been part of the first choice team, he was selected for the England squads at [[2004 European Football Championship|Euro 2004]] in [[Portugal]] and the [[2006 FIFA World Cup|2006 World Cup]] in [[Germany]] despite severe criticism from the press and some of the England-supporting public.
*[[Jasmin St. Claire]]
 
*[[Jason Sensation]]
=====2006 World Cup=====
*[[Jerry Lawler]]
In the first game of the 2006 World Cup, against [[Paraguay national football team|Paraguay]], his entry into to the match as a substitute prompted vocal abuse from a number of England fans. The generally negative perception of him by English fans had not been helped by his seeming to have an essence of "German-ness"{{fact}}, exacerbated by his German / Canadian accent. More problematic is the fact that England manager [[Sven Goran-Eriksson]] often played Hargreaves out of position, or didn't give him a full game — so he had little time to establish himself in a game. Against Sweden in the 2006 World Cup, Hargreaves was given a starting position in his favoured defensive midfield position and was highly impressive [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2006/teams/england/5108926.stm]. Hargreaves often attributes {{fact}} the negative response of English fans due to him not playing his football in the Premiership, stating that many England fans never see him play week-in, week-out and don't know what he is capable of, or his style of play.[[Image:Hargreavestears_Portugal_2006.JPG|10 KB|thumb|right|Hargreaves in tears after England's World Cup quarter-final defeat to Portugal]]
*[[Jerry Lynn]]
 
*[[Jim Neidhart]]
Owen Hargreaves played the full 120 minutes against Portugal where England were knocked out at the quarter-finals on penalties, and was selected as the official FIFA Man of the Match. He was the scorer of England's solitary successful penalty.
*[[Jason Arhndt|Joey Abs]]
 
*[[Adam Birch|Joey Matthews]]
==Trivia==
*[[Joseph Hitchen|Just Joe]]
*Owen Hargreaves could have played for four different national teams. He plays for [[England national football team|England]] because his father is English.{{fact}} He could have played for [[Wales national football team|Wales]] because his mother is Welsh. He could have played for [[Canada national soccer team|Canada]] because he was born in [[Canada]] and he could have played for [[Germany national football team|Germany]] because of [[FIFA]]'s residency rules.
*[[Ron Killings|K-Krush]]
*Owen Hargreaves holds the distinction of being the only England player in history who was not born in England and has neither lived nor played club football in England.
*[[Matt Anoai|Kimo]]
*Owen Hargreaves is the only member of his family not to be born in the [[United Kingdom]].
*[[Kurt Angle]]
*Owen Hargreaves father, Colin, played for [[Bolton Wanderers]] youth academy.
*[[Lance Cade]]
 
*[[Lord Humungous]]
==Career stats==
*[[Noreen Greenwald|Molly Holly]]
{|border=1 align=center cellpadding=4 cellspacing=2 style="background: ivory; font-size: 95%; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; clear:center"
*[[Peter Gasperino|Pete Gas]]
|+ '''<big>All-Time Club Performance</big>'''
*[[Scott Levy|Raven]]
|- style="background:beige"
*[[Reggie B Fine]]
!rowspan="2"|Club
*[[Brian Gerard James|Road Dogg]]
!rowspan="2"|Season
*[[Rodney Leinhardt|Rodney]]
!colspan="2"|[[Bundesliga (football)|Bundesliga]]
*[[Russ Haas]]
!colspan="2"|[[German Cup|DFB Cup]]
*[[Kevin Fertig|Seven]]
!colspan="2"|[[UEFA Champions League|Champions League]]
*[[Nick Cvjetkovich|Sinn]]
!colspan="2"|Toyota Cup
*[[Shooter Schultz]]
!colspan="2"|Total
*[[Pat Kenney|Simon Diamond]]
|- style="background:white"
*[[Brian Kendrick|Spanky]]
!App
*[[Spellbinder (wrestler)|Spellbinder]]
!Goals
*[[Matthew Hyson|Spike Dudley]]
!App
*[[Steve Bradley]]
!Goals
*[[Michael Manna|Steven Richards]]
!App
*[[Acolyte Protection Agency|The Acolytes]]
!Goals
*[[Brian Heffron|The Blue Meanie]]
!App
*[[The Dupps]]
!Goals
*[[Charles Wright (wrestler)|The Godfather]]
!App
*[[Stacy Carter|The Kat]]
!Goals
*[[Triple H]]
|-
*[[Lisa Marie Varon|Victoria]]
|rowspan="7" align=center valign=center|'''[[Bayern Munich]]'''
*[[Darrin Matthews|William Regal]]
|2005-06
||
|
|
|
|
|
| -
| -
!
!
|-
 
|2005-06
|| 15
| 1
| 4
| 2
| 3
| 0
| -
| -
! '''22'''
! '''3'''
|-
|2004-05
|| 27
| 1
| 3
| 2
| 8
| 0
| -
| -
! '''38'''
! '''3'''
|-
|2003-04
|| 25
| 2
| 3
| 0
| 6
| 0
| -
| -
! '''34'''
! '''2'''
|-
|2002-03
|| 25
| 1
| 5
| 1
| 5
| 0
| -
| -
! '''25'''
! '''2'''
|-
|2001-02
|| 29
| 0
| 4
| 0
| 13
| 0
| 1
| 0
! '''47'''
! '''0'''
|-
|2000-01
|| 14
| 0
| 1
| 0
| 4
| 0
| -
| -
! '''19'''
! '''0'''
|-
|- style="background:lemonchiffon"
! Total !! !! '''135''' !! '''5''' !! '''20''' !! '''5''' !! '''39''' !! '''0''' !! '''1''' !! '''0''' !! '''192''' !! '''10'''
|-
! style="background:beige"|Career Totals
! style="background:beige" colspan="1" |
! style="background:beige"| 135
! style="background:beige"| 5
! style="background:beige"| 20
! style="background:beige"| 5
! style="background:beige"| 39
! style="background:beige"| 0
! style="background:beige"| 1
! style="background:beige"| 0
! style="background:beige"| 192
! style="background:beige"| 10
|-
|}
 
== Awards ==
* German Championship: 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006
* UEFA Champions League: 2001
* Intercontinental Cup: 2001
* German Cup Winner: 2003, 2005, 2006
 
==External links==
*[http://cleverwoman.de/cleverwomen/traummann.php?id=21/ Owen's "Hunk" Article (in German)]
*[http://www.kinglawler.com/memphis.html Memphis Wrestling]
*[http://www.owenhargreaves.de/ Official Website]
*[http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/mempho/ Memphis Wrestling Yahoo Group]
*[http://www.fcbayern.t-com.de/en/teams/profis/00383.php?fcb_sid=f0b1abff06244814003f9cb2be0272e0/ Profile at FCBayern.de]
*[http://www.memphiswrestlingonline.com/ Memphis Wrestling Online]
*[http://www.uefa.com/competitions/UCL/Players/Player=55966/index.html Profile @ UEFA.com]
*[http://www.thefa.com/England/SeniorTeam/Players/Postings/2004/03/Owen+Hargreaves+Bayern+Munich.htm Profile @ TheFA.com]
*[http://www.themagic8.de/mportm8/latest/owen-hargreaves.html Owen Hargreaves (World Cup 2006)]
{{England Squad 2006 World Cup}}
{{Bayern Munich Squad}}
 
[[Category:1981 births|Hargreaves, Owen]]
[[Category:Living people|Hargreaves, Owen]]
[[Category:Canadian soccer players|Hargreaves, Owen]]
[[Category:English footballers|Hargreaves, Owen]]
[[Category:Alberta sportspeople|Hargreaves, Owen]]
[[Category:Calgarians|Hargeaves, Owen]]
[[Category:English Canadians|Hargreaves, Owen]]
[[Category:Non-German football players in Germany|Hargreaves, Owen]]
[[Category:Bayern Munich players|Hargreaves, Owen]]
[[Category:England under-21 international footballers|Hargreaves, Owen]]
[[Category:England international footballers|Hargreaves, Owen]]
[[Category:FIFA World Cup 2002 players|Hargreaves, Owen]]
[[Category:UEFA Euro 2004 players|Hargreaves, Owen]]
[[Category:FIFA World Cup 2006 players|Hargreaves, Owen]]
[[Category:Welsh Canadians|Hargreaves, Owen]]
 
[[de:Owen Hargreaves]]
[[Category:Professional wrestling promotions]]
[[et:Owen Hargreaves]]
[[Category:2000 establishments]]
[[fr:Owen Hargreaves]]
[[ja:オーウェン・ハーグリーブス]]
[[pl:Owen Hargreaves]]
[[fi:Owen Hargreaves]]
[[sv:Owen Hargreaves]]
[[zh:欧文·哈格里夫斯]]

Revision as of 21:57, 3 July 2006

Owen Hargreaves
Owen Hargreaves
Owen Hargreaves
Personal information
Full name Owen Lee Hargreaves
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
Bayern Munich
Number 23
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 1 July 2006

Owen Lee Hargreaves (born 20 January 1981 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada) is a footballer who plays in midfield for Bayern Munich and England national football team.

Background

Owen Hargreaves is the youngest of three children born to Margaret and Colin Hargreaves, who emigrated to Canada in the early 1980s from the United Kingdom. He grew up in the south western part of Calgary, and attended Glenbrook Elementary, Andrew Sibbald Elementary and Nickle Junior High. He left the last of these at the age of fourteen. For the next two years he was a pupil at Lord Beaverbrook High School.

Hargreaves first played football (soccer) at the age of five. His first team were known as the "Peanuts". He inherited some of his talent for the game from his father, who played in midfield for Bolton Wanderers and Wigan Athletic in the English League.

Career

Club

Calgary Foothills FC

Hargreaves was first discovered as a football talent by long-time Calgary coach Larry Poirier, who coached the under-12 Cedar Ridge Jacks that Hargreaves joined. At under-14 level the Cedar Ridge Jacks amalgamated with a team called Calgary Foothills FC. The new head coach of this team was Burk Kaiser, a one-time Canadian international, who introduced a new system to the team.

Hargreaves played in a number of positions, primarily in attack. In that season he scored 23 goals for the under-14s. In the summer of 1994 he was the only player from that under-14 team to be called up to represent Alberta at under-15 level. The Calgary Foothills won the national under-15 title the following year. Thomas Niendorf often helped Burk Kaiser prepare the side for tournaments in 1995. At about this time Harald Hoppe, a one-time junior coach at FC Bayern Munich, was visiting Thomas Niendorf. Hoppe soon noticed Hargreaves and made contact with FC Bayern. Following a trial in October 1996 Hargreaves joined FC Bayern's junior team in July 1997.

FC Bayern Munich

Owen Hargreaves moved at the age of sixteen from Calgary Foothills to FC Bayern Munich on 1 July, 1997. Hargreaves played in the Under-19 team for two and a half years before spending six months with the amateur team. Whilst 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 Rote-Erde Stadium.

On August 12, 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 September 16 of the same year. That season proved to be a triumphant one for Bayern Munich; the club were Bundesliga champions and also claimed the Champions League crown. Hargreaves's performances in the Champions League semi final against Real Madrid put him in the international spotlight as he showed he was capable of holding his own against the likes of Roberto Carlos and Luís Figo.

In the 2001/2002 season Hargreaves established himself as a first team regular, making 46 appearances in all. In spite of setbacks for the club in the form of a third place finish in the Bundesliga, a quarter final appearance in the Champions League and a Cup defeat by Schalke 04, the season proved to be a decisive one for Hargreaves as he emerged as a key player of the team.

2002/2003 saw Hargreaves celebrate another domestic success as Bayern won the Bundesliga title and the DFB Cup. On January 26 2003, Hargreaves scored his first Bundesliga goal in the game against Borussia Mönchengladbach. Unfortunately, the season also saw him 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. He racked up 25 Bundesliga appearances, 4 Cup games and 3 matches in the Champions League.

The 2003/2004 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 (1 goal), played in 3 Cup games (2 goals)and 8 Champions League games.

In the 2005/06 season, he added another Bundesliga and Cup title. He had 15 (1 goal) league, 4 (2) cup and 3 CL appearances. His Bundesliga goal was the first of the season.

In October of 2005, he extended his contract at Bayern for another four years, i.e. to June 30, 2010.

International Career

Hargreaves was eligible to play international football for any one of the Home nations or for Canada, and had he not accepted selection at the time he did, would soon have been eligible for Germany under residency rules. On August 31 2000, the then England under-21 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 Under-21s followed in friendlies against Italy and Spain.

Hargreaves's international commitment to England was sealed when he first played a full international game on August 15, 2001 against the Netherlands at White Hart Lane. Hargreaves was the only player plying his trade outside the Premier League to be selected for England's 2002 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 choice team, he was selected for the England squads at Euro 2004 in Portugal and the 2006 World Cup in Germany despite severe criticism from the press and some of the England-supporting public.

2006 World Cup

In the first game of the 2006 World Cup, against Paraguay, his entry into to the match as a substitute prompted vocal abuse from a number of England fans. The generally negative perception of him by English fans had not been helped by his seeming to have an essence of "German-ness"[citation needed], exacerbated by his German / Canadian accent. More problematic is the fact that England manager Sven Goran-Eriksson often played Hargreaves out of position, or didn't give him a full game — so he had little time to establish himself in a game. Against Sweden in the 2006 World Cup, Hargreaves was given a starting position in his favoured defensive midfield position and was highly impressive [1]. Hargreaves often attributes [citation needed] the negative response of English fans due to him not playing his football in the Premiership, stating that many England fans never see him play week-in, week-out and don't know what he is capable of, or his style of play.

File:Hargreavestears Portugal 2006.JPG
Hargreaves in tears after England's World Cup quarter-final defeat to Portugal

Owen Hargreaves played the full 120 minutes against Portugal where England were knocked out at the quarter-finals on penalties, and was selected as the official FIFA Man of the Match. He was the scorer of England's solitary successful penalty.

Trivia

  • Owen Hargreaves could have played for four different national teams. He plays for England because his father is English.[citation needed] He could have played for Wales because his mother is Welsh. He could have played for Canada because he was born in Canada and he could have played for Germany because of FIFA's residency rules.
  • Owen Hargreaves holds the distinction of being the only England player in history who was not born in England and has neither lived nor played club football in England.
  • Owen Hargreaves is the only member of his family not to be born in the United Kingdom.
  • Owen Hargreaves father, Colin, played for Bolton Wanderers youth academy.

Career stats

All-Time Club Performance
Club Season Bundesliga DFB Cup Champions League Toyota Cup Total
App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
Bayern Munich 2005-06 - -
2005-06 15 1 4 2 3 0 - - 22 3
2004-05 27 1 3 2 8 0 - - 38 3
2003-04 25 2 3 0 6 0 - - 34 2
2002-03 25 1 5 1 5 0 - - 25 2
2001-02 29 0 4 0 13 0 1 0 47 0
2000-01 14 0 1 0 4 0 - - 19 0
Total 135 5 20 5 39 0 1 0 192 10
Career Totals 135 5 20 5 39 0 1 0 192 10

Awards

  • German Championship: 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006
  • UEFA Champions League: 2001
  • Intercontinental Cup: 2001
  • German Cup Winner: 2003, 2005, 2006

External links