Owen Hargreaves made a significant mark in English football, earning 42 caps and participating in three major tournaments. Unique among players, he was the first to represent England without living there, being born in Canada to a Welsh mother and an English father. Initially playing for Wales under-19s, he switched allegiance to England, which he found an easy decision influenced by his British upbringing and desire to make his passionate football-supporting father proud. Hargreaves says he was not interested in playing for Germany despite their overtures after his move to Bayern Munich.
In Canada, we were a traditional British home: Sunday roasts, shepherd's pie, cups of tea. My dad is a massive football supporter and taught us all to play, so when it came to choosing which nation to represent, it was always going to be England, as I wanted to make my dad proud of me.
Hargreaves admits that opting to play for England was actually an easy choice. 'I told them I was flattered but not interested. It was always England for me.'
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