Vancouver Whitecaps co-owner Jeff Mallett confirmed his club's interest in signing Canadian-born former England international Owen Hargreaves.
Speaking to The Globe and Mail, Mallett finally said on record what had been whispered about in Canadian soccer circles for weeks -- that the Whitecaps have been in contact with Hargreaves and hope to further discuss the possibility of the former Bayern Munich and Manchester United midfielder joining Vancouver's MLS club.
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Mallett addressed the issue of Hargreaves' never-ending injury situation -- the Calgary native has made less than 30 appearances for Man United over the previous four seasons combined -- by commending the 30-year-old on his apparent dedication to returning to club football completely fit, as demonstrated by a recent series of YouTube clips (shot in the Vancouver area) featuring the player going through a series of drills.
“He’s doing the right thing and making sure he’s really fit this time,” Mallett told The Globe and Mail's David Ebner. “This is maybe the last chance to go back. He’s looking really good. He’s holding back all of his options until this point. He wants to play at the highest level possible. He’s played at the highest level. If he can get back at that level, he would like to play at that level. You can’t blame him, at all.”
The 'Caps co-owner acknowledged that there is competition for Hargreaves' services -- most notably from West Brom of the EPL -- but that Vancouver would be "on the option list" when Hargreaves makes his decision.