Hargreaves: Cheers Sven …
Times: Owen Hargreaves has acknowledged the debt of gratitude he owes to new Manchester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.
At a time when many pundits argued Hargreaves should be nowhere near the England squad, Eriksson stuck by him and the 26-year-old responded with performances of increasing maturity, culminating in his 2006 World Cup campaign when the midfielder was virtually England’s only stand-out performer.
It could be argued Hargreaves owes his £18 million move to Manchester United to Eriksson’s loyalty, so it is somewhat ironic the pair now find themselves on different sides of the great Mancunian divide.
Their first meeting will come quickly too when Eastlands plays host to the opening Manchester derby of the campaign on August 19. However, while Hargreaves knows what a key influence Eriksson has been on his career, the former Bayern Munich player feels he has got the better of their respective deals.
“Sven is a fantastic manager,” Hargreaves said. “I appreciated his support of me when, at times, other people possibly didn’t agree. He believed in me and he showed faith in me and I tried to repay that back at the World Cup. But City and United are two very different clubs and so are their ambitions. Sven has great potential there and I wish him all the best, but United are in a league of their own and I am focused on getting us clear of the pack early on.”
Hargreaves has had to show plenty of patience to get his move to United. The Calgary-born star was desperately disappointed when Sir Alex Ferguson’s initial approach floundered 12 months ago.
A broken leg sustained on club duty with Bayern shortly afterwards scuppered any real hope of the transfer being pushed through in January. However, once the Bundesliga season came to its end - and Bayern missed out on a Champions League place - it was virtually automatic Hargreaves would end his ten-year association with the club.
“It was rather a long, drawn-out situation,” Hargreaves said. “But a club like Bayern Munich is not accustomed to selling players and they had already seen Michael Ballack and Ze Roberto leave on free transfers, so they did not want to sell me. But I made my intentions clear and I am glad they went through with the transfer this summer.”
Hargreaves already knows he is expected to bring a destructive element to the United midfield next term, offering Ferguson’s defence added protection, while allowing the Red Devils many attacking stars the opportunity to exhibit their skills. “The Premier League is a unique because it is played at such a high pace,” he said. “The fans like to see teams get forward and play attacking football, which is great. Hopefully, I can adapt as quickly as possible.”
…
BBC: New Manchester United signing Owen Hargreaves said he plans to win plenty of silverware at Old Trafford.
The England midfielder signed a reported £17m four-year deal after signing from Bayern Munich on 1 July.
“I’m looking forward to the next four seasons and having a lot of success and winning as many titles as possible,” said the 26-year-old.
“There are so many fantastic players here and I think I’m just piece of a puzzle really.”
Hargreaves added: “Every player brings his qualities and obviously mine are in the defensive midfield area. Hopefully I can win some tackles and keep a clean sheet for the back four, give them some protection and get the ball to the fantastic offensive players that we have.
“I’m 26, I’ve spent 10 years at a great club like Bayern Munich and had a lot of success as well. I’m looking forward to the next chapter in my career and to have the opportunity to play for one of, if not the, biggest club in the world.”
…
Fox: “I’ve always wanted and expected I would play in England, I just never expected it would be via Germany,” Hargreaves said. “I had the opportunity to play Champions League football for seven seasons and those are the experiences a lot of players wouldn’t have had playing in England.”
And Hargreaves will now be a key asset as United sets its aim on a Champions League title, manager Alex Ferguson said.
“Last season was the third (Champions League) semifinal we’ve failed in and we don’t like that. I think we should have been doing better,” said Ferguson, whose team also lost May’s FA Cup final to Chelsea.
“(Hargreaves) brings real speed to the midfield and real energy,” Ferguson said. “Playing for seven years in the Bundesliga brings us a different type of experience.”
…
Mirror: OWEN HARGREAVES last night revealed his ambition to become a midfield legend for Manchester United - but pleaded with fans not to compare him to former skipper Roy Keane.
“United has such a fabulous history of players, not only in midfield but all across the field - and Roy Keane is one of those legends,” said Hargreaves. “That’s one of the things that is so attractive.
“So to be part of this club is a dream come true, and I’m looking forward to making a name for myself and not trying to emulate any one player in particular.
“There’s so many fantastic players in the United squad, I just think I’m another piece in that puzzle. Every player brings his qualities.
“Mine are in the defensive midfield area and hopefully I can win some tackles and protect the back four to ensure we keep a clean sheet, and also get the ball to the fantastic attacking players that we have.”
Sir Alex Ferguson said: “The question is always there about how to replace great players. We said the same when Bryan Robson left and we got Paul Ince and then Roy Keane.
“Owen will bring speed in midfield and good energy, and what is really important is that he has the sort of European experience not a lot of our players have.”
