Manchester City News: Owen Hargreaves aims to be match fit.

Hargreaves is aiming for an England return

Manchester City‘s latest signing Owen Hargreaves has reiterated his desire of gaining back his fitness levels before aiming to slip himself into the City line-up. The injury-plauged midfielder has barely played in recent times, with only four appearances in his last three seasons with rivals, Manchester United.

Despite spending the whole summer on rehabilitation, which ultimately convinced Roberto Mancini to sign him up, Hargreaves is adamant that he still lacks from match fitness and indicated that it could be some time before he makes his offcial debut for the Citizens.

“It’s important that you get back into a rhythm of playing,” said Hargreaves. “There’s tons of games to come this season in various competitions.”

Hargreaves’ career has literally been disrupted by injuries ever since he transfered back to England. The circumstances have been pretty difficult but the defensive midfielder is optimistic about the future that beholds for him.

“It’s difficult for people from the outside looking in,” Hargreaves told City TV. “You would think ‘ there’s something gone wrong there, the guy’s made out of glass. But anybody who knows me and knows the way I play, I take it very seriously and very professional.”

“So obviously I don’t think everybody had all the facts and a lot of things happened that basically I wish wouldn’t of and it’s just a huge learning curve for myself and I would have never have anticipated I would ever find myself in that position.”

“So I’m just happy that that chapter is behind me and I’m looking forward to just playing football and having fun, having a good time, joining in with the lads and competing again.”

“It was my life – I missed Champions League finals, I missed World Cups, I missed so many big games that I would have loved to have been a part of.”

“It’s difficult when you’re in it and you’re trying to find a solution to these things, you seem to be not going any further forward and it was incredibly frustrating.

“So I basically spent all summer just training, proving to myself that I can work hard, that I can train and sustain the load that is demanded of a professional football player.”

Nevertheless, Hargreaves will be working hard to prove his fitness before City take on his former club, Bayern Munich in the Champions League group stages.