It is worth considering the career of another unique football player. Owen Hargreaves has several distinguishing features which set his biography apart from the careers of many other professional players. First, he was raised and educated in Calgary, Canada, then went to Germany to start developing his career there. Then he joined the England national team and, finally, joined Manchester United. He became very popular there but was forced to quit soon because of serious knee injuries.

Hargreaves – discipline, talent, and success

Born in Canada in 1981, this midfielder started playing football as a child because of his family. Moreover, as he was of British origin, he was qualified to represent England at major tournaments later. Having gone through various steps to become one of the best players in the world, Hargreaves gained valuable experience that allowed him to join famous teams and even win major trophies. In spite of the fact that he was not the most skilled midfielder of all time, his ability to read the game made him famous among coaches.

Early years in Calgary

He was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on January 20, 1981, and grew up in a family that preferred this sport. Interestingly, his father was Welsh while his mother was an English lady. Therefore, he was eligible to represent England, which is why later on, he became a member of the national team that took part in major football competitions. During his adolescent years, Hargreaves moved to Germany to get into the youth academy of Bayern Munich, where he received great education and learned the style which was based on tactical skills.

Having trained there successfully, he made a big step forward when in 2000 he broke into the senior squad, which was famous because of the victories it had gained during recent years. There Hargreaves demonstrated great skills as a midfielder as well as being adaptable when playing in other positions like right-back. He always played at the top level, having shown discipline and understanding of his duties in terms of positioning and passing.

Career highlights

  • Bayern Munich youth and senior career (from 2000)
  • Winner of the Champions League (2001) while playing for Bayern Munich
  • Joined Manchester United (2007)
  • Played at the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004 for England
  • Later joined Manchester City (2011) and retired from the sport in 2012

During his period in Germany, where he spent most of his youth, Hargreaves became an expert of the sport. Moreover, he became one of the main players of Bayern, which achieved a lot in its history. Particularly, winning the Champions League title in 2001 made the career of the footballer look impressive because it proved the possibility to play under the pressure of expectations. This success can be called the greatest victory of this Canadian.

Playing for Manchester United

In 2007, Hargreaves became a member of the squad of such a team as Manchester United. There he could show his pressing skills and capability of playing in midfield positions. Moreover, during the first year when he joined Manchester United, the player was a part of the squad which won many trophies and had perfect teamwork. Thus, for the fans of this squad, he was a diligent and skillful midfielder who could cope with such powerful players of the squad like Wayne Rooney.

For the manager at Manchester United, he was very valuable because of adaptability, good understanding of tactical rules of the game, and ability to play in all positions of midfielders with different levels of aggression. He helped his squad because he possessed such great qualities as balance, adaptability, and great technical skills.

Unfortunately, knee injuries prevented him from developing successfully. However, during the period at Manchester United, Hargreaves achieved great successes despite being injured several times.

Playing for England and later

This Canadian-born player was a representative of England's squad at some major competitions like Euro 2004 and the 2002 World Cup. In spite of this player being from Canada, he could demonstrate all his talents while being part of the England squad. Usually, he played in midfield and in his main position, which required discipline.

As for the last years in his career, the player joined Manchester City and spent his last football days there before making a decision to retire in 2012. It was the moment when his professional activity came to an end, which was characterized by successes in Manchester and participation in major tournaments. In his retirement, Hargreaves went into football journalism and commentary.

To sum up, Hargreaves is the person whose career is quite unusual. On one hand, he played for various clubs and countries (like the England national team). On the other hand, the player's specialty consisted in discipline and adaptability. Thus, Owen Hargreaves is the name remembered by football fans as a reliable midfielder.