Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves admits he may've made his knee problems worse by pushing himself in his first season at Old Trafford.

Hargreaves is only weeks away from a first team return at United after over 18 months out with knee injury.

He told The Times: "My first season was stop-start because I already had the problem. It wasn't as serious as it was at the end of my second season, but I guess I never understood the extent of what was wrong. I wasn't the only one, but I just didn't want to stop playing.

"The club had spent a lot of time and money acquiring me and I didn't want to be out straightaway. In hindsight, playing made it worse, but it was a learning process. I've learnt to trust my intuition."