The early rounds of the League Cup, nay, the entire competition, normally passes with little, to no, noteworthy action. However, last week’s Third Round ties have proved to be a life-changing moment for a floppy-haired, Manchester-spanning, German-speaking, Canadian-born, Welsh-eligible, Englishman.
Owen Hargreaves is synonymous with injuries and untimely disappointment. Cursed with knee injuries, as well as a dislocated shoulder, he’s made a grand total of 40 appearances in the last four seasons, a timescale which has seen him decamp from the Bavarian behemoth of Bayern Munich, through to the Salford stadium belonging to Manchester United, with a smattering of cameo international appearances along the way.
He’s endured several knee operations, conducted by the Colorado-based ‘patellar professor’ Dr. Richard Steadman, and the resulting months of rehabilitation, with United and their medical staff holding his hand every step of the way.
Ill-fated attempts at a return to action – including Hargreaves starting against Wolves, only to be subbed after six minutes – had concluded that the midfielder was still far from his tenacious ways. But, last Tuesday, he made a surprise comeback, and scored a screamer. Thing was, this was at the Etihad Stadium and United were playing at Elland Road that night.
After controversially signing, as a free agent, for Manchester City this summer – despite Leicester City or West Brom being touted as the more likely destination – Hargreaves hit a clean-cut shot from the edge of the area to put City ahead against Birmingham.
Here’s the clincher: to see a player doing well with your deadly rivals is one thing but for him to then turn on his previous employers, who had let him see out his multi-million pound four-year contract despite him only making five appearances in the latter three-quarters, in a scathing attack was met with anger and furore from the United faithful. “They treated me like a guinea pig”, “it felt as if I was made out of glass” and “they rushed me back” were a select few of the soundbites emanating from Hargreaves, an intelligent individual capable of speaking German and English, on Tuesday night; the latter quotation is preposterous when you consider the fact the amount of appearances he made when weighed up against the number of matches United play in a season.
Misunderstood.
by the author for one.