• Premier League

Hargreaves not expecting immediate impact

Owen Hargeaves' spell at Manchester United was plagued by injury © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Hargreaves slams medical treatment at Man Utd
  
• News: Mancini hails hero Hargreaves
  
• News: Hargreaves can play key role for City - Mancini
  
• News: Mancini wanted Gago & De Rossi deals
  
• News: Hargreaves left out of City's Champions League squad
  
• News: Hargreaves finalises shock City transfer
  

Manchester City's new signing Owen Hargreaves says he will not be rushed back into action after making just four appearances in the last three seasons for rivals Manchester United.

Injury-plagued Hargreaves, who was released by United after four seasons at Old Trafford, admits he is still short of match fitness and it could be a while before he makes his debut for City.

And that means the transfer deadline-day signing is unlikely to make a dream return to action against former club Bayern Munich in the Champions League later this month.

"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."

The 30-year-old is well aware that his move to the Etihad Stadium has been portrayed as a gamble by City manager Roberto Mancini, but Hargreaves is convinced he can regain his former fitness.

"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 professionally.

"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."

He added: "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."

Hargreaves was signed by United from Bayern Munich in 2007 and played in the 2008 Champions League final victory over Chelsea in Moscow before succumbing to a series of knee injuries.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.