HIS father was a youth striker with Wanderers who did not quite make the grade.

But the future of Owen Hargreaves, the 20-year-old Canadian-born star of Bayern Munich's comprehensive victory over Real Madrid on Wednesday could not be brighter.

Dad Colin played at Bolton and Wigan before emigrating to Canada with his Rhyl-born wife Margaret.

So young Owen is qualified to play for Canada, Wales - and England.

It's been no contest for the midfielder who kept even the great Luis Figo quiet in their Champions League clash.

He said: "I'm not German, so I'll never play for Germany.

"And I'm absolutely committed to England."

Colin, a sales manager with a steel firm in Calgary, missed Wednesday's big game. And he'll be unable to get to the San Siro for the Final on May 23 because of work committments.

He said: "When I talked to Owen about the game, I told him to enjoy the moment because things change easily. But he handled such a lot of pressure for a young player very well."

Young Owen, who shared in that shattering experience at the Nou Camp when Manchester United won that famous last gasp victory two years ago, says: " My dad is a massive Bolton fan, you could say he was pretty disappointed we didn't win that Final in Barcelona. He's definitely not a Manchester United fan."

The following report is courtesy of Neal Collins of Allsport:

Twenty years ago dad Colin, a steel firm sales manager, left Lancashire for Canada; Owen and brother Dan were never far from a football.

At 16, a local coach with German roots organised a trial for young Owen at mighty Bayern while their English rivals dozed.

It was a long trip and a tough trial. But he made it, and was signed up by their academy. But that was no guarantee of future stardom.

Hargreaves confesses: "In the previous six years NOBODY had made it from the youth team to the first team. That became my ambition.

"There were 14 of us in special accommodation, four of us foreign. I was a long way from home. When the other lads went to school in the morning we'd learn German. To be honest, a lot of the lads thought I was German. I soon put them straight.

"They make fun of me sometimes but we all get on well and they know where my loyalties are. Roque Santa Cruz is my big mate, because he's also one of the youngsters. But I'm also close to Mehmet Scholl. I think he remembers what it was like to come into the first team at 20.

"Mehmet is a big help because we practise our free kicks together twice a week. I feel at home with the first team."

Howard Wilkinson's call into the Under 21 squad last year helped ensure that neither Germany, Wales nor Canada could get their hands on the young striker who actually turned out in friendlies for the Welsh youth team.

Wilko recalls: "We heard about Owen from an English scout working on the Continent, an English punter in Germany and a German reporter. We decided to have him over because he obviously qualifies to play for Canada, Wales and us."

Hargreaves chose the same country as ex-Canadians Lennox Lewis and Greg Rusedski. He confesses: "There were always going to be people criticising whatever choice I made and, as I was brought up in Canada, everyone back home believes that is who I should play for.

"But I have always considered myself British because of my parents and it would be a great honour to play for England."

So we may see more of him soon, in a white shirt . . . and perhaps somebody should call Sam Allardyce and relay the parting comment: "I went to England

on a football tour once and I would love to play there one day. My dad would love me to play for Bolton."