The Enigmatic Owen Hargreaves

How the England and Bayern Munich midfielder is Mr Unpopular in three different countries at once.

Life should be sweet for Owen Hargreaves. He's just won another double with his club side Bayern Munich and is in England's World Cup squad for Germany 2006.

He also goes out with stunna Janelle Khouri. Apparently she also represented Canada's U20 soccer team - so he's got someone to talk shop to at home n'all.

But not all is rosy in the Hargreaves garden. Despite playing for the English national side, Hargreaves was born in Calgary, Canada and his decision to play for the land of his father's birth has seen him branded a traitor back in his homeland.

For even more intemperate talk from angry Canuck soccer fans (yes, there are a few) just type "Hargreaves+Traitor" into Google and you'll get the picture.

His mum is Welsh and the land of song isn't too keen on the 25 year-old either. When he appeared in his customary late substitute role for England in both World Cup qualifiers against Wales, he was roundly booed by fans from the principality, for choosing not to play for their country.

At least the English love him. You'd need a heart of stone not to melt for Owen's tousled-hair charm. And those Welsh and Canadians have been so beastly to him that he fully deserves our support.

Not that he's going to get it. The poor bloke was jeered by the home fans when he arrived as half time sub during England's friendly against Hungary last night. And that set the tone for a pretty weak performance - he was largely responsible for Hungary's goal by failing to close down Pal Dardai quickly enough.

World Cup legend George Cohen thinks he should be dropped from the squad, and bellowing half-wit Ian Wright lambasted his display on the BBC and suggested that Hargreaves' place in the team is down to him knowing something about Sven that we don't. On that basis Ian Wright must clearly know something about the BBC hierarchy to keep getting invited back onto TV.

He still has his supporters though - fellow curly-haired Germany-dweller Tony Woodcock puts up a spirited defence at the BBC Sport website and at least I still love you, Owen.

I think the problem with Hargreaves is confidence. His favoured positions in central midfield or out on the right are the positions that England have the most cover for and he has never had a run in the team as a starter. Indeed, think of Sven Goran Eriksson's much maligned multiple substitutions and Owen Hargreaves is the player that epitomises that tactic - of his 30 England caps, only seven have been as a starter and the last time that happened was an away friendly in Sweden in March 2004.

Being around Bayern for years and knowing he has put in good displays for them gives him the confidence to perform without worrying in the Bundesliga. For England he has no such luxury and the fact he is considered "foreign" and unpopular with both fans and press can't help.

As so often happens to versatile players, his flexibility has also counted against him - his natural athleticism and speed has allowed him to fill in usefully at right back for Bayern (a position he tried unsuccessfully for England B against Belarus) and he is often asked to be the defensive player of the central midfield duo in the Bundesliga.

That doesn't mean he can play as an anchor man to screen the back four - a pretty specialist position that doesn't come naturally to him. At heart, Hargreaves is a Gerrard/Lampard-type who loves to burst forward, use his excellent passing and thump the ball at goal.

But it must also be admitted that his appearances for England have been underwhelming at best. He played with distinction in the one-and-a-bit group games he played in at the last World Cup in 2002 before a toe injury ruled him out of the rest of the tournament but his recent displays in an England shirt have been weak.

Only Owen Hargreaves can persuade England fans to feel like Franz Beckenbauer who once said: "When I see this boy with the ball, my heart leaps", but his chances for England may be limited with Jamie Carragher and Michael Carrick due another run in the England midfield.

Still, looking on the bright side, he has written the cracking Mr Men books.

LINKS:

Janelle Khouri: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-10/11/content_3604772_2.htm

Traitor: http://www.canoe.ca/Slam020528/col_jones-sun.html

Owen's tousled-hair charm in effect: http://www.owenhargreaves.de/index.php

George Cohen comments: http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2002390000-2006250058,00.html

Tony Woodcock: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2006/teams/england/4753775.stm