Sven-Goran Eriksson has now praised a player who Manchester United allowed to depart Old Trafford on a free transfer.
The 76-year-old made the comments during a segment with Channel 4 Sport.
So, which former Manchester United player received a mention from Sven-Goran Eriksson? Let’s take a look…
Sven-Goran Eriksson praises Owen Hargreaves
Well, it was Owen Hargreaves who received praise from the Sweden.
Channel 4 Sport arranged for the likes of Steven Gerrard, Paul Scholes, Michael Owen and the man released by Manchester United in 2011 to send heartwarming messages into Eriksson after he revealed a terminal cancer diagnosis.
The former England boss was clearly moved by the messages – left speechless by most of them – although he did find some words to say when Hargreaves appeared on the screen.
“He was good” said Eriksson with real sincerity, as the 43-year-old thanked the man from Sunne for all that he did for him while on international duty with England.
Not to make this a tribal matter, but the Swede didn’t say anything similar when Gerrard, Scholes and Owen delivered their messages, which suggests the ability of Hargreaves really stood out to him.
Why Manchester United released him
There was huge excitement when Manchester United sealed the £17m signing of Hargreaves from Bayern Munich back in July 2007.
However, the man from Calgary struggled tremendously with injuries during his time at Old Trafford, suffering tendinitis in both knees which limited him to just 39 appearances in four years.
Hargreaves was eventually released in May 2011 when his contract expired – before sealing a shock move to Manchester City.
Sir Alex Ferguson has even revealed that Hargreaves was his most disappointing signing.
Writing in his autobiography, the 82-year-old put: “He didn’t show nearly enough determination to overcome his physical difficulties, for my liking. I saw him opt for the easy choice too often in terms of training. He was one of the most disappointing signings of my career.”
Nevertheless, Hargreaves clearly still holds the respect of Eriksson – who he made 33 appearances under for England.
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