Op-Ed: Owen Hargreaves released by Manchester City

Manchester - After just a season with Premier League champions Manchester City, former England international Owen Hargreaves has been released from his contract.

The Canadian-born midfielder signed for City after posting a series of fitness videos on YouTube in order to prove his fitness, but was only on a pay-as-you-play contract. Before joining City, Hargreaves' career at local rivals Manchester United was riddled with injuries, although he did manage to capture two titles during his time at Old Trafford. The 31-year-old made a total of four appearances for the Blues, although only one of those appearances was in the league. He marked his City debut with a magnificent 25-yard strike in a League Cup tie against Birmingham (which can be seen below), while also appearing in City's 3-2 loss to Manchester United in the FA Cup. The future is currently uncertain for Hargreaves, but one thing's for sure, as long as he can maintain his fitness, he will be a valuable asset to any club. Meanwhile, City have also released Gai Assulin, Ahmed Benali, Sean Tse, Paul Clowes, Luke Coulson, Tom Halsall and George King. A statement on their official website read: "We thank all our departing players for their services to the Club and we wish them the best of luck for the future."