Former Manchester United Legend Recalls Penalty Nerves In Champions League Final

Former Manchester United and England midfielder, Owen Hargreaves, has spoken about his mindset when stepping up to face Petr Cech in the 2008 Champions League final penalty shootout.

Hargreaves spoke on the UTD Podcast about the ‘mental torture’ of the shootout, with Manchester United ultimately overcoming Chelsea 6-5, winning them the 2008 Champions League. 

Joining from Bayern Munich at the start of the 07/08 campaign, Hargreaves couldn’t have asked much more of his debut season.

United went on to win both the Premier League and Champions League, with the midfielder making 43 appearances across three competitions.

Speaking on the podcast, Hargreaves detailed how the Chelsea players he’d previously played with at international level for England were giving Petr Cech in the Chelsea net instructions on where Hargreaves would shoot.

The midfielder recalled, “I remember walking up and thinking: those idiots are going to tell Cech that I’m going top-left.” 

He went on to give an extensive list of Chelsea players he’d previously played on the same side as, with Joe Cole, Wayne Bridge, Ashley Cole and John Terry amongst those he’d represented England at U21s with.

The midfielder also pointed out Michael Ballack as another former team-mate, who Hargreaves had played with at Bayern Munich for multiple years prior to signing for the Manchester club.

Following the shouts of the Chelsea players to their keeper, Hargreaves began to doubt his decision and second guess himself as to where he should hit his penalty.

“As I’m walking up I’m thinking: I’m definitely going top-left,” said the Englishman, before beginning to recount the doubt in his mind.

Hargreaves then goes on to detail the regaining of confidence in his own ability from 12 yards, saying: “So I thought: I’ll just go bottom right. As I got up to put the ball down I thought: this is a terrible time to be experimenting. Just smash it top left and if he saves it, he saves it. He’s in a Champions League final too for a reason.”

This confidence proved to be justified as Hargreaves buried his penalty past Cech, making up for the miss of Cristiano Ronaldo prior.

Reminiscing on the victory, the Englishman spoke of the fortified mentality previous experience in penalty shootouts had created for him.

“I had been on two winning sides and two losing sides, and I had been there mentally in those moments, and I understood that,” explained Hargreaves.

Fans of Manchester United will be hoping for more moments like this in the near future, as Erik ten Hag begins his new project at Old Trafford.

It may not be too long until United have a new Hargreaves-like figure back in the side in the form of Frenkie de Jong, as the Reds get ever closer to completing a deal with Barcelona for the Dutchman.

Left back and Dutch team-mate of De Jong Tyrell Malacia is also close to joining Old Trafford, with a deal for the defender agreed with Feyenoord in the Eredivisie.

Both will be welcome additions to the squad, with fans desperate to see additions to the squad ahead of the next season.

These arrivals could also directly impact the potential arrival of Danish playmaker, Christian Eriksen, with the midfielder reportedly waiting to see the additions to the United squad, before deciding on his future.

Fans and staff alike will be hoping that these potential arrivals could signal the beginning of a new era at Old Trafford, an era which sees silverware, such as was won by Hargreaves, return to Manchester United.