5 talented Premier League midfielders who had their careers hampered by injuries

#1 Owen Hargreaves

Hargreaves in action for Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League

Arguably one of the greatest what-ifs in English football history, Hargreaves made a name for himself outside the shores of England with Bayern Munich in the German Bundesliga, and was one of just two players (alongside David Beckham who made it to the final squad of England’s 2006 World Cup squad) who plied their trade outside the Premier League.

He was the first player ever to have played for England without having lived in the United Kingdom, as well as only the second player in history to have represented the Three Lions without previous experience of playing in the English league.

Hargreaves earned a reputation of being a solid hardworking midfielder, who worked tirelessly to win possession back for his teammates, and was particularly impressive with his performance in the 2004 Champions League clash against Real Madrid, where he dominated a midfield containing all-time greats such as Zidane and Luis Figo, although Real Madrid advanced.

Hargreaves was one of the best defensive midfielders in the world in the middle of the last decade, it came as no surprise when Manchester United paid £22.5m for his services in 2007. He arrived in England as a multiple time league winner and also had a Champions League medal to show for his time with Bayern.

In his first season at Old Trafford, Hargreaves starred, helping the club to triumph in the Premier League and Champions League, where he lasted all 120 minutes and converted from the spot in the shootout victory over Chelsea.

The start of his second season was blighted by injuries, and after travelling around the world to seek a solution, Hargreaves went to renowned Los Angeles knee specialist Richard Steadman who commented that Hargreaves' knee was in the worst form he had ever seen in over 35 years of practice.

Hargreaves made just two appearances in the next three years, and a heartbreaking site was him leaving the pitch just five minutes into the match against Wolves after his long-awaited return. It was announced that he would not be given a new contract at the end of the 2010/2011 season, despite offering to play for free.

Hargreaves posted videos on YouTube of his training sessions in a bid to prove his match fitness, and he was signed by Manchester City on a pay as you play contract, but that was also shortlived, as he made just four appearances for the club, and just one in the Premier League as the club won its first league title in over 40 years.

Hargreaves currently works as a pundit on television, and he is a sad case of what a devastating injury did to one of the brightest midfielders of his generation. However, he played 303 matches between clubs and national team and won 12 trophies. But he had the potential to achieve more.