OWEN Hargreaves is itching to get his Manchester United career under way.

The England international has just endured the most frustrating fortnight imaginable as he flew out to the Far East with his new team-mates, but was unable to kick a ball in anger.

Although Sir Alex Ferguson was convinced the knee injury Hargreaves aggravated at the start of pre-season training would ease sufficiently for him to play some part in United's four-match tour, recovery proved far slower than expected.

It was only in the last full training session of the trip in Guangzhou that Hargreaves was able to play an active role. Apart from that it has been running, running and more running.

Reward

The reward for Hargreaves should arrive on Tuesday, when Ferguson expects him to finally get involved in a meaningful session at Carrington.

And, provided all goes to plan, the £18million summer arrival from Bayern Munich will finally get to wear a United shirt for the first time, if not in Wednesday's high-profile friendly with Inter Milan, then in the following games against Doncaster or Peterborough, or even Sunday's Community Shield showdown with Chelsea.

"I am just dying to play and have the chance to get that top on for the first time," he said.

"There are some big games coming up but my goal is to be there on the opening day of the season."

As the wrangle over Carlos Tevez's move to Old Trafford rumbles on, Hargreaves must be able to empathise with the Argentina striker.

It was fully 12 months from Ferguson making his initial approach to Bayern for the 26-year-old that the move finally went through.

Hargreaves angered many Bayern fans by repeatedly outlining his desire to leave the Allianz Arena for England - the country he represents but where the Calgary-born star has never actually lived.

The same bravery which saw Hargreaves quit his homeland as a raw teenager to pursue his dream of becoming a professional footballer at one of the biggest clubs on the planet, ensured he stuck to his guns in the face of fierce pressure from Bayern to get the move he craved.

"Maybe if I had been a local boy, things might have been different," he said.

"But I had spent 10 years in Munich. I had won everything it was possible to win and felt it was time for a new challenge.

"I know Bayern were in a difficult situation but in the end, I felt it was best for all parties that I left."

Hargreaves now finds himself in the bizarre position of trying to get used to the English game despite boasting 39 senior caps.

From the little work he has been able to do on the training pitch, he does not believe it will be too much of a problem.

In a team full of flair, Hargreaves knows what his job is. It will not be pretty, but he is confident it will be pretty effective.

"The manager has so many options," he said.

"Every player is very different and very unique. You look at people like Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs - they are some of the best players in the world.

"All I can do is get the ball, then give it to one of them to do their thing."

Hargreaves' continuing absence, plus the knee injury Scholes suffered against FC Seoul, means no-one is yet sure exactly how Ferguson intends to use his many midfield options this term.

Rotation

One school of thought suggests Hargreaves, Scholes and Michael Carrick will be accommodated within the same midfield. Another theory is that the trio will be subjected to rotation.

Either way, Hargreaves is happy to accept whatever comes his way as United's hunt for silverware begins.

"Not every player is going to play in every game," he said. "That is a fact.

"The important thing for all of us is that Manchester United needs to be successful.

"If we all miss a few games but end up with a couple of cups in our hands, I am sure everyone would be very happy indeed."

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