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.
