The midfielder was voted England Player of the Year in 2006

Owen Hargreaves was named the England Player of the Year in 2006.

Three Lions’ supporters had already voted the combative midfielder as their ‘Player of the World Cup’ after a series of fine performances in Germany.

And Hargreaves, who featured in eight of England’s 14 fixtures in 2006, pipped Steven Gerrard to claim his second honour of the year.

Displays of determination, tenacious tackling and boundless energy in the holding role of England’s midfield during their World Cup campaign, followed by another man-of-the-match outing in an August friendly against Greece, highlight how his commitment to the cause was appreciated by the fans.

Hargreaves said at the time: " Any time you can receive the support of the fans is very special.

“It was a great year. Going into the World Cup I was confident because I had won the double with Bayern.

“Playing my club football in Germany I knew the stadiums, we had a great base camp in Baden-Baden - it was a shame we did not progress further.”