LONDON - Midfielder Owen Hargreaves, once a target for the
boo boys, has won the fans' vote as England Player of the Year
2006, the Football Association (FA) said on Tuesday.
Hargreaves, sidelined since breaking his leg with Bayern Munich
last September, got his latest accolade in a poll on the FA's Web
site (www.thefa.com), having already been voted England's best
player of the World Cup in Germany by supporters. The Canadian-born
midfielder was outstanding in England's World Cup quarter-final
against Portugal, lost on penalties, and has since become a
transfer target for Manchester United.
Yet the 26-year-old's current standing with the fans is a far cry
from last year, when he was a fringe player and was booed when he
came on in friendlies against Belarus and Hungary and again in
their opening World Cup group win over Paraguay. Commenting on his
award, Hargreaves told the FA's Web site: "Any time you can receive
the support of the fans is very special so thank you to everyone
who voted for me.
"I'm hoping that 2007 will also be a really good year too. I'm very
nearly ready to start playing again and hopefully I'll be back
playing for England again soon and I've got my eye on the big Euro
2008 qualifiers in March."
Hargreaves received 29 percent of the vote, beating fellow
midfielder Steven Gerrard (18 ) and striker Peter Crouch
(15).
Third in Group E, a point behind Russia and three adrift of leaders
Croatia, England have a qualifier in Israel on March 24 and in
Barcelona against Andorra four days later.
