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Giggs became [[Manchester United F.C.|United]]'s longest serving player when [[Denis Irwin]] left in May 2002, and he became a pivotal part of the club, despite still being in his twenties. Giggs continued to excel in the four years that followed the [[The Treble|Treble]] triumph of 1999. United were [[Premier League]] champions in three of the four seasons following the treble, as well as reaching the [[UEFA Champions League]] quarter-finals three times and the semi-finals once. He celebrated his 10-year anniversary at [[Old Trafford]] with a testimonial match against [[Celtic F.C.|Celtic]] at the start of the [[2001–02 in English football|2001–02]] campaign. However, this was one of the most disappointing seasons United had endured since Giggs made his debut for them, as a dismal run of form in early winter ultimately cost them the league title and they were surprisingly knocked out of the Champions League on away goals in the semi finals by [[Germany|German]] underdogs [[Bayer Leverkusen]]. A year later, in the autumn of 2002, he bagged his 100th career goal in a draw with [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]] at [[Stamford Bridge (stadium)|Stamford Bridge]]. {{Citation needed|date=January 2011}}
Giggs became [[Manchester United F.C.|United]]'s longest serving player when [[Denis Irwin]] left in May 2002, and he became a pivotal part of the club, despite still being in his twenties. Giggs continued to excel in the four years that followed the [[The Treble|Treble]] triumph of 1999. United were [[Premier League]] champions in three of the four seasons following the treble, as well as reaching the [[UEFA Champions League]] quarter-finals three times and the semi-finals once. He celebrated his 10-year anniversary at [[Old Trafford]] with a testimonial match against [[Celtic F.C.|Celtic]] at the start of the [[2001–02 in English football|2001–02]] campaign. However, this was one of the most disappointing seasons United had endured since Giggs made his debut for them, as a dismal run of form in early winter ultimately cost them the league title and they were surprisingly knocked out of the Champions League on away goals in the semi finals by [[Germany|German]] underdogs [[Bayer Leverkusen]]. A year later, in the autumn of 2002, he bagged his 100th career goal in a draw with [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]] at [[Stamford Bridge (stadium)|Stamford Bridge]]. {{Citation needed|date=January 2011}}


He played in his fourth [[FA Cup]] triumph on 22 May 2004, making him one of only two players (the other being [[Roy Keane]]) to have won the trophy four times while playing for Manchester United. He has also finished with a runners-up medal three times (1995, 2005 and 2007). His participation in the victory over [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] in September 2004 made him the third player to play 600 games for United, alongside Sir [[Bobby Charlton]] and [[Bill Foulkes]]. He was inducted into the [[English Football Hall of Fame]] in 2005 in recognition of his contribution to the English game.
He played in his fourth [[FA Cup]] triumph on 22 May 2004, making him one of only two players (the other being [[Roy Keane]]) to have won the trophy four times while playing for Manchester United. He has also finished with a runners-up medal three times (1995, 2005 and 2007). His participation in the victory over [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] in September 2004 made him the third player to play 600 games for United, alongside Sir [[Bobby Charlton]] and [[Bill Foulkes]]. He was inducted into the [[English Football Hall of Fame]] in 2005 in recognition of his contribution to the English game he is gay.


===Since 2006===
===Since 2006===

Revision as of 11:50, 27 January 2011

Ryan Giggs
Personal information
Full name Ryan Joseph Giggs
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Manchester United
Number 11
Youth career
1985–1987 Manchester City
1987–1990 Manchester United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1990– Manchester United 602 (110)
International career
1989 England U16
1990 Wales U21 1 (0)
1991–2007 Wales 64 (12)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:13, 4 January 2011 (UTC)

Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE[1] (born 29 November 1973, Canton, Cardiff) is a Welsh footballer who has played for Manchester United for his entire professional career. He established himself as a left-winger during the 1990s and continued in this position well into the 2000s, but has been increasingly used in a deeper playmaking role in his later years.

Giggs is the most decorated player in English football history.[2] On 16 May 2009, he became the first footballer to collect 11 top division English league title medals. Giggs was the first player in history to win two consecutive PFA Young Player of the Year awards (1992 and 1993) and is the only player to have played and scored in every season of the Premier League.[3]

Giggs has had a long-lasting domestic and continental career and is the first player in UEFA Champions League history to have scored in 11 successive seasons, on top of being elected into the PFA Team of the Century in 2007,[4] the Premier League Team of the Decade, in 2003, as well as the FA Cup Team of the Century.

He is also the only United player to have played in all 11 Premier League winning teams and the first three League Cup-winning teams. At the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final, held on 21 May 2008, Giggs surpassed Sir Bobby Charlton's record of 758 appearances for Manchester United to become the club's all-time leader in appearances.[5] At international level, Giggs played for the Welsh national team prior to his retirement from international football on 2 June 2007, and was once the youngest player to ever represent his country.

In addition to the many honours Giggs has received within football such as being named in the Football League 100 Legends (the last active player in the list), he was appointed an OBE in the Queen's 2007 Birthday Honours List, and was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2005, for his services to English Football. He was named as BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2009.[2]

Early years

Born as Ryan Joseph Wilson (he later adopted his mother's maiden name as his professional surname) at St David's Hospital in Canton, Cardiff, to Danny Wilson, a rugby union player for Cardiff RFC, and Lynne Giggs (now Lynne Johnson), as a child Giggs grew up in Ely, a suburb of western Cardiff. His younger brother Rhodri manages non-league Salford City.

He spent much time with his mother's parents and playing football on the roads outside their house in Pentrebane. In 1980, when Giggs was six years old, his father switched rugby codes and signed for Swinton RLFC, forcing the whole family to move north to Swinton, a town in Salford, Greater Manchester. The move was a traumatic one, as Giggs was very close to his grandparents in Cardiff, but he would often return there with his family at weekends or on school holidays. Giggs is mixed race – his paternal grandfather is from Sierra Leone and has spoken of the racism he faced as a child.[6]

After moving to Salford, Giggs appeared for the local team, Deans FC, who were coached by Manchester City scout Dennis Schofield. His first game for Deans ended in a 9–0 defeat to Stretford Vics but, nevertheless, many people commented that Giggs had been the best player on the pitch that day. Schofield recommended Giggs to Manchester City, and he was signed up to their School of Excellence. Meanwhile, Giggs continued to play for Salford Boys, who went on to reach the final of the Granada Schools Cup competition at Anfield in 1987. Giggs captained the Salford team to victory over their Blackburn counterparts, and the trophy was presented to him by Liverpool chief scout Ron Yeats. Yeats was impressed by Giggs's performance, and would have recommended him to Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish, had Giggs not already been picked up by Manchester United. [citation needed]

While playing for Deans, Giggs was observed regularly by local newsagent and Old Trafford steward Harold Wood who regularly recommended the young man to senior staff at Manchester United to no avail. Wood spoke personally to Alex Ferguson who sent a scout who was impressed enough for United to offer Giggs a trial over the 1986 Christmas period. Giggs played in a match for Salford Boys against a United Under-15s side at The Cliff and scored a hat trick, with Ferguson watching from his office window. On 29 November 1987 (his 14th birthday), Ferguson turned up at Giggs's house with United scout Joe Brown and offered him two years on associate schoolboy forms. They offered to waive YTS forms, and persuaded Giggs to sign by offering the opportunity to turn professional in three years. Giggs signed there and then for a record non-professional transfer fee of £350,000, which is still the highest ever. Using the name Ryan Wilson, Giggs captained England at schoolboy level, playing at Wembley Stadium against Germany in 1989.[7] He changed his surname at the age of 16, when his mother remarried. His parents had separated two years earlier.[8]

Manchester United first team

Giggs made his first appearance for the club during the 1990–91 season and has been a regular player since the 1991–92 season. He holds the club record for competitive appearances, and the club record for team trophies won by a player (23).[9]

Since 1992, he has collected 11 Premier League winner's medals, four FA Cup winner's medals, three League Cup winner's medals and two Champions League winner's medals. He has runner-up medals from the Champions League, three FA Cup finals and two League Cup finals, as well as being part of four United teams to have finished second in the league. In recent years, Giggs has captained the team on numerous occasions, particularly in the 2007–08 season when regular captain Gary Neville was ruled out with various injuries. Giggs is the only player to play every season of the Premier league for one club and score in every season of the Premier League for any club. [citation needed]

Debut and breakthrough season

Giggs turned professional on 29 November 1990 (his 17th birthday), by which time he was described by various sources to be the finest prospect in English football since George Best in the 1960s. At this time, United had recently won the FA Cup – their first major trophy since the appointment of Alex Ferguson as manager in November 1986. After two precarious seasons in the league where they had finished mid table, they were finally starting to threaten the dominance of Liverpool and Arsenal, though they only managed to finish sixth that season. Ferguson's quest for a successful left winger had not been an easy one since the departure of Jesper Olsen two years earlier. First he had signed Ralph Milne, but the player was not a success at United and lasted just one season in the first team before Ferguson secured the Southampton winger Danny Wallace in September 1989. Wallace had failed to repeat the performances that had made him one of the highest rated flanksmen in his days on the South Coast, and by the time Giggs turned professional Wallace was battling with 19-year-old Lee Sharpe for the role of first choice left winger. [citation needed]

Giggs made his League debut against Everton at Old Trafford on 2 March 1991, as a substitute for the injured full-back Denis Irwin in a 2–0 defeat. In his first full start, Giggs was credited with his first ever goal in a 1–0 win in the Manchester derby on 4 May 1991, though it appeared to be a Colin Hendry own goal. However, he was not included in the squad of 16 that defeated Barcelona in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final 11 days later. Lee Sharpe, who had now won the race to displace Danny Wallace as United's regular left winger, took to the field as United's left winger, while Wallace was selected as a substitute. He became a first-team regular early in the 1991–92 season, yet remained active with the youth system and captained the team, made up of many of "Fergie's Fledglings", to an FA Youth Cup triumph in 1992. [citation needed]

Giggs broke into the first team even though he was still aged only 17, a mark of his skill and maturity, and paved the way as the first of many Manchester United youth players to rise into the first team under Ferguson. As the youngest member of the United first team squad, Giggs looked to the older players such as Bryan Robson for advice. Robson recommended that Giggs sign up with Harry Swales, the agent that he himself had inherited from Kevin Keegan.[10]

That season, Giggs played in the team that finished as runners-up to Leeds United in the final year of the old First Division before the advent of the Premier League. United had led the table for much of the season before a run of dismal results in April saw them overtaken by the West Yorkshire side. Giggs collected his first piece of silverware on 12 April 1992 as United defeated Nottingham Forest in the League Cup Final, after Giggs had set up Brian McClair to score the only goal of the game. At the end of the season, he was voted PFA Young Player of the Year – the award which had been credited to his colleague Lee Sharpe a year earlier. [citation needed]

Early career

By the start of the 1992–93 season, the first season of the newly formed Premier League, Giggs was firmly established as United's first choice left winger, and became known as one of British football's most prodigious young players, where Giggs was also hailed as the more prodigious half of English football's two best emerging young wingers, alongside Steve McManaman,[11] who were notable for being a throwback to the Stanley Matthews era of the 1950s' wingers, and for their ability to "embarrass defences with their mazy runs, which too often lack the finishing touch they deserve".[12] Giggs, as the leader of this new revival of pacy and stylish football after the traditional years of long ball and route one styles of previous decades, played a key role in reshaping English football,[13] and helped United to its first top division title win for 26 years, though they didn't go top until after Christmas and fought off competition from big spending Aston Villa and Blackburn Rovers as well as surprise title contenders Norwich City.

Giggs playing for United.

His emergence and the arrival of Eric Cantona heralded the dominance of United in the new league. His manager was very protective of him, refusing to allow Giggs to be interviewed until he turned 20, eventually granting the first interview to the BBC's Des Lynam for Match of the Day in the 1993–94 season. This was the season when United won the double and Giggs was one of their key players alongside the likes of Eric Cantona, Paul Ince and Mark Hughes. Lee Sharpe, the player Giggs had ousted on the left wing a couple of years earlier, was now vying with Andrei Kanchelskis for the right wing position – with both players having key parts in the club's success. They topped the table from the fourth game in late August and were not overtaken all season. Giggs also played for United in the Football League Cup final, where they lost 3–1 to Aston Villa, ending their hopes of a unique domestic treble.

Off the pitch, newspapers claimed Giggs had "single-handedly revolutionised football's image" when he appeared as teenager "with pace to burn, a bramble patch of black hair bouncing around his puppy popstar face, and a dazzling, gluey relationship between his impossibly fleet left foot and a football."[14] As a result of this, he was afforded many opportunities not normally offered to footballers at his young age, such as hosting his own television show, Ryan Giggs' Soccer Skills, which aired in 1994, and also had a book based on the series. Giggs was part of the Premier League's attempt to market itself globally, re-forging its image after the hooliganism-blighted years of the 1980s and he featured on countless football and lad mag covers, becoming a household name, and fuelling the era where footballers started to become celebrity idols on a par with pop stars,[15] in and around the mid to late 1990s. Despite his aversion to attention, Giggs also became a teenage pin-up and was once described as the "Premiership's First Poster Boy",[16] and the "boy wonder",[17] arguably the original footballer who catapulted the term into the public lexicon. He was hailed as the first football star to capture the public imagination in a way unseen since the days of George Best;[18] the irony was that Best and Bobby Charlton used to describe Giggs as their favourite young player, turning up at The Cliff training ground just to watch him, where Best once quipped, "One day they might even say that I was another Ryan Giggs."[18]

Giggs proved to be a great goalscorer, many of his memorable goals being shortlisted for various Goal of the Season awards. Widely regarded as among his best were those against Queens Park Rangers in 1993, Tottenham in 1994, Everton in 1995, Coventry in 1996, and the most remarkable of all, his solo-goal against Arsenal in the replay of the 1999 FA Cup semi-final. During extra time, Giggs picked up possession after Patrick Vieira gave the ball away, then ran from the half-way line, dribbled past the whole Arsenal back line, including Tony Adams, Lee Dixon and Martin Keown before launching his left-footed strike just under David Seaman's bar and beyond his reach. He famously whipped off his shirt as he ran to celebrate with his teammates. It also has the distinction of being the last ever goal scored in an FA Cup semi-final replay as, from the following season, the FA Cup semi-finals are decided in a single game, with extra time and a penalty shootout if required. [citation needed]

Mid-late 1990s

1994–95 saw Giggs restricted through injury to 29 Premier League games and only 1 goal, later in the season he recovered his form and fitness, though it was too late to help United to any major trophies. A failure to beat West Ham United on the final day of the season saw them lose the Premier League title to Blackburn Rovers. A week later, Giggs came on as a substitute in the FA Cup final against Everton, but United lost 1–0. It was a frustrating season for both player and club, and Giggs was not the only key player to be ruled out for crucial games. Roy Keane, Lee Sharpe and Andrei Kanchelskis had notable absences due to injuries, while Eric Cantona missed the final four months of the league campaign (and the first six weeks of the next) after being banned from football for an incident during a game at Crystal Palace in late January. [citation needed]

On a more positive side in the 1994-95 season, Giggs did get on the scoresheet twice in the opening Champions League game against IFK Gothenburg (a 4-2 win, although United ultimately failed to progress to the quarter-finals) and also managed a goal in the FA Cup fourth around victory over Wrexham, meaning that he had managed four in all competitions that season.

The 1995 close season brought more controversy as United sold Paul Ince, Mark Hughes and Andrei Kanchelskis and began the following season without a major signing, though they had added Andy Cole to their ranks for a national record £7 million halfway through the previous season.

In 1995–96, Giggs returned to full form and played a vital part in United's unique second double, his goal against Everton at Goodison Park on 9 September 1995 being shortlisted for the "goal of the season" award, though it was eventually beaten by votes for a goal by Manchester City's Georgi Kinkladze. In November that season, Giggs scored two goals in a Premier League match against Southampton, arguably his finest performance of the season, where United won 4–1 to keep up the pressure on a Newcastle United side who actually went 10 points clear on 23 December but were finally overhauled by United in mid March. Giggs was also in the side for United's FA Cup final win over Liverpool on 11 May 1996, though Eric Cantona scored the late winner – the only goal of the game. By now, Giggs had several new key colleagues in breakthrough youngsters Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Nicky Butt, David Beckham and Paul Scholes. Beckham took over from Andrei Kanchelskis on the right wing and Butt succeeded Paul Ince in central midfield to complete a new look United midfield along with Giggs and Roy Keane. [citation needed]

The following season, Giggs had his first real chance to shine in Europe. Having played a key role in United winning their third league title in four seasons, he helped them reach the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, the first United side in 28 years to achieve this. However, their hopes of European glory were ended by Borussia Dortmund, who edged them out by winning each leg of the semi-final 1–0. At the end of this season, Juventus' Alessandro Del Piero told Italian media that Giggs was one of his two favourite players, and gave the following memorable quote:"This is embarrassing to say but I have cried twice in my life watching a football player; the first one was Roberto (Baggio) and the second was Ryan Giggs." [19]

In 1997–98, United were pipped to the Premier League title by Arsenal, following a dismal run of form in March and early April, leaving them without a trophy for only the second time since 1989. The following season, Giggs missed a lot of games through injury, but when he was fit his form was consistently excellent and he played in both of United's cup finals that season. Memorable moments were his extra-time goal in the FA Cup semi-final against arch-rivals Arsenal to give United a 2–1 win, and his 90th minute equaliser in the home leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final against Juventus, a 1–1 draw which was followed two weeks later by a 3–2 win in Turin where United came from two goals behind.

The highpoint in the 1998–99 season was when Giggs set up the equalising goal scored by Teddy Sheringham in the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final that set United on their way to the Treble. Striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored the winning goal with the last kick of the game two minutes later. Giggs was also the Man of the Match as United beat Palmeiras to claim the Intercontinental Cup later that year. [citation needed]

2000–2005

Ryan Giggs, 2006

Giggs became United's longest serving player when Denis Irwin left in May 2002, and he became a pivotal part of the club, despite still being in his twenties. Giggs continued to excel in the four years that followed the Treble triumph of 1999. United were Premier League champions in three of the four seasons following the treble, as well as reaching the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals three times and the semi-finals once. He celebrated his 10-year anniversary at Old Trafford with a testimonial match against Celtic at the start of the 2001–02 campaign. However, this was one of the most disappointing seasons United had endured since Giggs made his debut for them, as a dismal run of form in early winter ultimately cost them the league title and they were surprisingly knocked out of the Champions League on away goals in the semi finals by German underdogs Bayer Leverkusen. A year later, in the autumn of 2002, he bagged his 100th career goal in a draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. [citation needed]

He played in his fourth FA Cup triumph on 22 May 2004, making him one of only two players (the other being Roy Keane) to have won the trophy four times while playing for Manchester United. He has also finished with a runners-up medal three times (1995, 2005 and 2007). His participation in the victory over Liverpool in September 2004 made him the third player to play 600 games for United, alongside Sir Bobby Charlton and Bill Foulkes. He was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2005 in recognition of his contribution to the English game he is gay.

Since 2006

After that season, Giggs signed a two-year contract extension with United when chief executive David Gill relented on his normal policy of not signing players over 30 to contracts longer than one year. He has subsequently signed three further one-year contact extensions, to keep him at Old Trafford until at least June 2011, when he will be 37. Giggs benefited from being largely injury-free aside from a series of hamstring problems.

On 6 May 2007, with Chelsea only able to manage a 1–1 draw with London rivals Arsenal, Manchester United became the champions of England. In doing so, Giggs set a new record of nine league titles, beating the previous record of eight he shared with Alan Hansen and Phil Neal (who won all of their titles with Liverpool). Giggs played a starring role in United's 2007 Charity Shield victory after netting in the first half to bring the game to a 1–1 draw, which led to penalty triumph for the Red Devils after keeper Edwin van der Sar saved all of Chelsea's first three penalties.

In the 2007–08 season, Alex Ferguson adopted a rotation system between Giggs and newcomers Nani and Anderson. Nevertheless, Giggs remained the favoured choice for the anticipated clash with Chelsea at Old Trafford and put in a cross with the outside of his boot for Carlos Tévez to score his first United goal.

Giggs after the match against Manchester City in February 2008

Giggs scored his 100th league goal for United against Derby County on 8 December 2007, which United won 4–1.[20] More landmarks have been achieved: on 20 February 2008 he made his 100th appearance in the UEFA Champions League in a game against Lyon[21] and on 11 May 2008 he came on as a substitute for Park Ji-Sung to equal Sir Bobby Charlton's record of 758 appearances for United.[22] Giggs scored the second goal in that match, sealing his, and United's, tenth Premier League title. Ten days later, on 21 May 2008, Giggs broke Bobby Charlton's appearance record for United when coming on as an 87th minute substitute for Paul Scholes in the Champions League Final against Chelsea. United would go on to win the Final, defeating Chelsea 6–5 on penalties after a 1–1 draw after extra time. Giggs converted what became the winning penalty in sudden-death for United and joined Steve McManaman and team-mate Owen Hargreaves in becoming the only British players to have played in and won more than one Champions League final. (This is not true for European Cups as several Nottingham Forest players achieved this in 1979 and 1980 and several Liverpool players in 1977, 1978, 1981 and 1984.) Giggs lifted the Champions League trophy with Rio Ferdinand as captain Gary Neville had been out for nearly the entire season with an injury.

At the start of Manchester United's 2008–09 campaign, Sir Alex Ferguson began placing Giggs at central midfield, behind the forwards, instead of his favoured wing position. Giggs has since adapted very well to his new position and supplied two assists in as many games, against Middlesbrough and Aalborg. Sir Alex Ferguson said in an interview, "(Giggs) is a very valuable player, he will be 35 this November but at 35, he can be United's key player. At 25, Ryan would shatter defenders with his run down the flank, but at 35, he will play deeper."[23] Giggs has begun taking his coaching badges and Ferguson has hinted that he would like Giggs to serve as his coaching staff after retirement like Ole Gunnar Solskjær did.[24]

Ryan Giggs, 2008

On 8 February 2009, Giggs maintained his record of being the only player to score in every season of the Premier League since its inception in 1992 by netting the only goal in a 1–0 win over West Ham United.[25] Following speculation earlier in the year,[26] in February 2009, Giggs signed a one-year extension to his current contract – which was due to expire in June 2009.[27] After a successful season, Giggs was short-listed along with four other Manchester United team mates for the PFA Player of the Year.[28] On 26 April 2009, Giggs received the award, despite having started just twelve games throughout the 08/09 season (at the time of receiving the trophy). This was the first time in his career that Giggs had received the award.[29] Prior to the awards ceremony, Alex Ferguson had given his backing for Giggs to win the award and stated that it would be fitting, given Giggs' long term contribution to the game.[30] Giggs made his 800th appearance for Manchester United on 29 April 2009, in the 1–0 semi-final win over Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League.[31] On 16 May 2009, Manchester United won the Premier League after a 0–0 draw against Arsenal, both United's and Giggs' 11th Premier League titles.

Giggs scored his first Manchester United hat-trick in a pre-season friendly against Hangzhou Greentown after coming on as a second-half substitute.[32]

On 12 September 2009, Giggs scored United's first goal in a 3–1 Premier League win against Tottenham Hotspur, at White Hart Lane, maintaining his record of having scored in every Premier League season since its inception, the only player to have done so. This game also marked Giggs' 700th start for United.[33] Giggs scored his 150th goal for United, only the ninth player to do so for the club, against Wolfsburg in his first Champions League game of the season. The goal, as well as his previous strike of the season against Spurs, was direct from a free-kick, albeit with a huge deflection. It also made it a record-equalling 14th Champions League season in which he had scored, drawing him level with Raúl who had achieved the feat 15 days earlier. He then set up Michael Carrick to score the winner to give United a 2–1 win against the Champions League newcomers.[34] On 28 November 2009, the eve of his 36th birthday, Giggs scored his 100th Premier League goal – all for Manchester United – scoring the final goal in a 4–1 victory over Portsmouth at Fratton Park. The goal along with his previous two strikes of the season was another free kick, stating his claim for regular set-piece taker since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, he also became only the 17th player to reach the milestone in the Premier League.[35]

On 30 November 2009, the day after his 36th birthday, it was reported that Giggs would be offered an additional one-year contract which would run until the end of the 2010–11 season and see him past the 20th anniversary of his first game and first goal for United.[36] On the same day, Giggs was nominated for BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2009. On 5 December 2009, Giggs' appearance against West Ham United – a game that he ended playing at left-back – equalled countryman Gary Speed's outfield record of 535 Premier League games. On 12 December, Giggs surpassed Speed's feat by playing against Aston Villa. The following day, Giggs won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.[37] On 18 December 2009, Giggs signed a one-year contract extension with United, keeping him at the club until June 2011, taking him past the 20th anniversary of his first professional contract and that of his first team debut – a rare occurrence of a player reaching the 20-year mark with the same club and with unbroken service.[38] On 31 December 2009, Giggs was named the Manchester United Player of the Decade.[39] On 24 April 2010, Giggs scored the first ever league penalties of his career in his 900th game, netting two penalties in a 3–1 home win over Tottenham Hotspur, which was crucial as it sent United to the top of the Premier League after several weeks in second place behind Chelsea.[40]

On 16 August 2010, Giggs kept up his record of scoring in every Premier League season since its inception as he netted United's third in their 3–0 home victory over Newcastle United in their opening fixture of the new campaign. As he found the net in the final two seasons of the old Football League First Division, he has now scored in 21 successive top division campaigns.[41] On 17 January 2011, Giggs reached 600 league appearances (all for Manchester United), as he played in their goalless draw against Tottenham at White Hart Lane.[42]

International career

Giggs captaining Wales in the friendly against Brazil in September 2006

Born in Cardiff to Welsh parents, Giggs represented Wales at international level. As a youngster, Giggs captained England Schoolboys. Contrary to popular belief, he was never eligible for the full England team (eligibility at the schoolboy level depends solely upon the location of the school, in Giggs' case Moorside High School in Salford).[43] He has stated that he would have chosen to play for Wales anyway. When he made his international debut in 1991, he broke the record as the youngest debutant for Wales and held it for some seven years when it was broken by Ryan Green in June 1998.[44] He went on to win 64 caps, and scored twelve goals for the Welsh national team between 1991 and 2007. He was appointed captain of Wales in 2004. During a 2006 World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan on 12 October 2005, Giggs scored a rare double in a 2–0 win but Wales failed to reach the play-offs.[45] In September 2006, he played in a friendly against Brazil at White Hart Lane. Such was his display that, following the 2–0 win for Brazil, Brazil coach Dunga paid Giggs the compliment by stating he would not look out of place playing for the five-time world champions alongside stars such as Kaká and Ronaldinho.[46]

Giggs announced his retirement from international football on Wednesday, 30 May 2007, at a press conference held at The Vale of Glamorgan Hotel, drawing the curtain on a 16-year international career.[24] He cited concentrating on his United career as the main reason for stepping down. His final game for Wales, and as captain, was the Euro 2008 qualifier against the Czech Republic on 2 June at Cardiff. He earned his 64th cap in this game and won the Man of the Match award as Wales drew 0–0.[47] In November, he was one of three players in the final nomination by the FAW for the Wales Player of the Year award, which was ultimately won by Craig Bellamy.[48]

In an interview with the Western Mail on 26 March 2010, Giggs hinted that he might be tempted to come out of international retirement for his country's UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying campaign, in order to cover for the injured Aaron Ramsey.[49] He later clarified his position to BBC Radio Manchester, saying that he would only return to Wales duty in an emergency.[50]

International goals

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 31 March 1993 Cardiff, Wales  Belgium 2–0 Win World Cup 1994 qualifying
2 8 September 1993 Cardiff, Wales  Czech Republic 2–2 Draw World Cup 1994 qualifying
3 7 September 1994 Cardiff, Wales  Albania 2–0 Win UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying
4 2 June 1996 Serravalle, San Marino  San Marino 5–0 Win World Cup 1998 qualifying
5 11 November 1997 Brussels, Belgium  Belgium 2–3 Loss World Cup 1998 qualifying
6 4 September 1999 Minsk, Belarus  Belarus 2–1 Win UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
7 29 March 2000 Cardiff, Wales  Finland 1–2 Loss Friendly
8 29 March 2003 Cardiff, Wales  Azerbaijan 4–0 Win UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying
9 8 October 2005 Belfast, Northern Ireland  Northern Ireland 3–2 Win World Cup 2006 qualifying
10 12 October 2005 Cardiff, Wales  Azerbaijan 2–0 Win World Cup 2006 qualifying
11 12 October 2005 Cardiff, Wales  Azerbaijan 2–0 Win World Cup 2006 qualifying
# 21 May 2006 Bilbao, Spain  Basque Country 1–0 Win Non-FIFA representative friendly
12 28 March 2007 Cardiff, Wales  San Marino 3–0 Win UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying

Discipline

Giggs has never been sent off when playing for Manchester United and only once when playing for Wales, on 5 September 2001 in a World Cup qualifier against Norway;[51] Giggs received a second yellow card in the 86th minute.[52] In November 2003, he was found guilty of improper conduct by the FA due to his behaviour following the Battle of Old Trafford against Arsenal.[53] In the same week, Giggs received a two-match suspension from international football for deliberately elbowing Russian player Vadim Evseev in the face during the first leg of the Euro 2004 play-offs.[54] The offence was missed by referee Lucílio Batista, but Giggs was later charged using video evidence.[54]

Career statistics

Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Europe Other[55] Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Manchester United 1990–91 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1
1991–92 38 4 3 0 8 3 1 0 1 0 51 7
1992–93 41 9 2 2 2 0 1 0 0 0 46 11
1993–94 38 13 7 1 8 3 4 0 1 0 58 17
1994–95 29 1 7 1 0 0 3 2 1 0 40 4
1995–96 33 11 7 1 2 0 2 0 0 0 44 12
1996–97 26 3 3 0 0 0 7 2 1 0 37 5
1997–98 29 8 2 0 0 0 5 1 1 0 37 9
1998–99 24 3 6 2 1 0 9 5 1 0 41 10
1999–00 30 6 – 0 0 11 1 3 0 44 7
2000–01 31 5 2 0 0 0 11 2 1 0 45 7
2001–02 25 7 1 0 0 0 13 2 1 0 40 9
2002–03 36 8 3 2 5 0 15 4 0 0 59 14
2003–04 33 7 5 0 0 0 8 1 1 0 47 8
2004–05 32 5 4 0 1 1 6 2 1 0 44 8
2005–06 27 3 2 1 3 0 5 1 0 0 37 5
2006–07 30 4 6 0 0 0 8 2 0 0 44 6
2007–08 31 3 2 0 0 0 9 0 1 1 43 4
2008–09 28 2 2 0 4 1 11 1 2 0 47 4
2009–10 25 5 1 0 2 1 3 1 1 0 32 7
2010–11 14 2 1 1 1 0 3 0 1 0 20 3
Total 602 110 66 11 37 9 135 27 18 1 858 158

Statistics accurate as of match played 25 January 2011[56]

[57] Template:Football player national team statistics |- |1991||2||0 |- |1992||3||0 |- |1993||6||2 |- |1994||1||1 |- |1995||3||0 |- |1996||3||1 |- |1997||3||1 |- |1998||1||0 |- |1999||3||1 |- |2000||4||1 |- |2001||4||0 |- |2002||5||0 |- |2003||7||1 |- |2004||3||0 |- |2005||6||3 |- |2006||5||0 |- |2007||4||1 |- !Total||64||12 |}

Honours

Manchester United

Individual

Orders and special awards

Records

Ryan Giggs with the Premier League trophy
  • Only player to have won 11 league titles, and only Manchester United player to have played in all eleven Premier League-winning teams.
  • Most Premier League appearances for an outfield player.[61]
  • Most Premier League assists (accurate records are only available from 2002 onwards).[62]
  • Only player to have scored in all 19 Premier League campaigns since its inception.[3]
  • One of two players to have played in every Premier League season since its inception, Sol Campbell being the other.
  • Only player to have scored in eleven consecutive Champions League tournaments (1996–97 to 2006–07).
  • Only Manchester United player to have scored in fourteen different Champions League tournaments.
  • Most goals by a British player in the Champions League/European Cup proper history, and 14th overall (not including preliminary rounds).[63]
  • Most appearances by a Manchester United player.
  • First player to score 100 Premier League goals for Manchester United.
  • Second midfielder to have scored 100 goals in the Premier League for a single club (first being Matt Le Tissier).

Endorsements

Giggs has been featured in adverts for Reebok, Sovil Titus, Citizen Watches, Givenchy, Fuji, Patek Phillipe, Quorn Burgers, ITV Digital and Celcom.

According to an article by BBC Sport: "In the early 1990s, Giggs was David Beckham before Beckham was even holding down a place in the United first team. If you put his face on the cover of a football magazine, it guaranteed you the biggest sales of the year. Why? Men would buy it to read about 'the new Best' and girls bought it because they wanted his face all over their bedroom walls. Giggs had the million-pound boot deal (Reebok), the lucrative sponsorship deals in the Far East (Fuji) and the celebrity girlfriends (Dani Behr, Davinia Taylor) at a time when Beckham was being sent on loan to Preston North End."[64]

Giggs has said that he deliberately shunned the media fuss. "Nothing could have prepared me for the limelight I was thrust into at 17," said Giggs. "I was in newspapers, magazines, on TV, and everyone in the street knew me. It was strange for me and I dealt with it by trying not to create a fuss. I've just tried to keep it that way ever since."[65] At the height of his celebrity, Giggs' relationships caused him to change his media approach. Giggs has spoken about this decided shift away from publicity- a route he seemed destined to take as celebrity pin up, occurring sometime in the mid 1990s. "The high-profile relationship I had with the TV presenter Dani Behr was the turning point for me", said Giggs. "Before I knew it, we were being photographed outside my house and cameramen followed us everywhere. It was very uncomfortable. At that point I decided the celebrity lifestyle wasn't for me. Around that time I felt my commercial work was affecting my work, too. I thought 'no, football is my bread and butter. It has to, and always will, come first'", he told the Daily Mirror.[65]

Marriage

Giggs married his long-term partner, Stacey Cooke, in a private ceremony on 7 September 2007.[66] They have two children, both born in Salford: Liberty Beau (known as Libby, born 2003) and Zach Joseph (born 2006),[67] and live in Worsley, Salford.[68]

Activism

In recent years, Giggs has become a UNICEF representative, launching a campaign in 2002 to prevent landmines from killing children. Giggs visited UNICEF projects in Thailand and told the BBC: "As a footballer I can't imagine life without the use of one of my legs... Sadly this is exactly what happens to thousands of children every year when they accidentally step on a landmine."[69]

Post-playing career

In October 2010, Giggs said he would "probably finish [his] career here [Old Trafford]", and that he could not see himself "dropping down leagues and playing at a lesser level." He said he wanted to go into coaching, calling managing Manchester United or Wales, "the two ultimate jobs", and that he was halfway through his UEFA 'A' coaching license.[70]

References

  1. ^ a b "OBE honour for United hero Giggs". London: BBC News. 11 December 2007. Retrieved 20 November 2008.
  2. ^ a b Leach, Ben (13 December 2009). "Ryan Giggs wins BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2009". London: Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 13 December 2009.
  3. ^ a b "Player Profile – Ryan Giggs". premierleague.com. Premier League. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  4. ^ "Teams of the Century". Retrieved 5 September 2007. [dead link]
  5. ^ Shuttleworth, Peter (21 May 2007). "Spot-on Giggs overtakes Charlton". London: BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 November 2008.
  6. ^ "Ryan Giggs: You must speak out on abusers". Daily Mirror. 30 April 2008. Retrieved 3 September 2010.
  7. ^ Adamson, Mike; Ashdown, John (6 October 2004). The Guardian title=Could Ryan Giggs have played for England?. London http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2004/oct/06/theknowledge.sport. Retrieved 23 August 2010. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Missing pipe in: |work= (help)
  8. ^ Ryan Giggs on ManUtdZone.com]
  9. ^ "Ryan Giggs". ManUtd.com. Retrieved 28 October 2007. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  10. ^ Fordyce, Tom (12 November 2003). "The teenage tornado". BBC Sport. London: British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 17 May 2009.
  11. ^ "Steve McManaman Profile". Give Me Football. Retrieved 2010-12-19.
  12. ^ "BBC SPORT | FOOTBALL | Might of the midfielders". BBC News. 2001-07-11. Retrieved 2010-12-19.
  13. ^ "THE LIST: 50-41 of football's greatest wing wizards | Mail Online". Dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 2010-12-19.
  14. ^ "Ryan Giggs is still smiling after surviving the bitter battles with Arsenal | Interviews". Thisislondon.co.uk. 2010-12-13. Retrieved 2010-12-19.
  15. ^ "How football became the new rock'n'roll - Rock'n'Goal Week". FourFourTwo. 2009-04-22. Retrieved 2010-12-19.
  16. ^ Benson, Andrew (1 March 2007). "Ryan Giggs in a league of his own". London: BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 March 2009.
  17. ^ Wallace, Sam (28 July 2003). "Milestone looming for Giggs". London: Telegraph. Retrieved 10 March 2009.
  18. ^ a b "Football Hall of Fame – Ryan Giggs". Nationalfootballmuseum.com. Retrieved 10 March 2009.
  19. ^ "Giggs: We can do the double". FIFA.com. 2008-04-28. Retrieved 2010-12-19.
  20. ^ "Giggs is underrated – Ferdinand". London: BBC Sport. 8 December 2007. Retrieved 29 January 2009.
  21. ^ "Giggs signs up for 100 club in Lyon". uefa.com. Union of European Football Associations. 20 February 2008. Retrieved 29 January 2009.
  22. ^ Rich, Tim (12 May 2008). "Ryan Giggs reaches Bobby Charlton mark". London: The Telegraph. Retrieved 29 January 2009.
  23. ^ Gemma Thompson (21 May 2008). "Report: MU 1 (6) Chelsea 1 (5)". ManUtd.com. Retrieved 29 January 2009.
  24. ^ a b Abbandonato, Paul (7 January 2009). "Ryan Giggs faces up to life after Old Trafford". Western Mail. Retrieved 29 January 2009.
  25. ^ Sanghera, Mandeep (8 February 2009). "West Ham 0–1 Man Utd". BBC Sport. London: British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 9 February 2009.
  26. ^ "Giggs to be offered new contract". BBC Sport. London: British Broadcasting Corporation. 25 January 2009. Retrieved 12 February 2009.
  27. ^ "Giggs signs new Man utd contract". BBC Sport. London: British Broadcasting Corporation. 12 February 2009. Retrieved 12 February 2009.
  28. ^ "Man Utd dominate PFA awards list". BBC Sport. London: British Broadcasting Corporation. 14 April 2009. Retrieved 14 April 2009.
  29. ^ "Giggs earns prestigious PFA award". BBC Sport. London: British Broadcasting Corporation. 26 April 2009. Retrieved 26 April 2009.
  30. ^ "Ferguson backs Giggs to win award". BBC Sport. London: British Broadcasting Corporation. 24 April 2009. Retrieved 24 April 2009.
  31. ^ McNulty, Phil (29 April 2009). "Man Utd 1–0 Arsenal". BBC Sport. London: British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 29 April 2009.
  32. ^ Bostock, Adam (26 July 2009). "Giggs' glee at first hat-trick". ManUtd.com. Manchester United. Retrieved 26 July 2009.
  33. ^ Cheese, Caroline (12 september 2009). "Tottenham 1–3 Man Utd". BBC Sport. London: BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 September 2009. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  34. ^ Stevenson, Jonathan (30 september 2009). "Man Utd 2–1 Wolsfburg". BBC Sport. London: BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 September 2009. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  35. ^ Sanghera, Mandeep (28 November 2009). "Portsmouth 1–4 Man Utd". BBC Sport. London: BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
  36. ^ "Manchester United great Ryan Giggs to be offered 12 month contract extension and stay with club until 2011". Daily Mail. London. 30 November 2009. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
  37. ^ "Ryan Giggs wins 2009 BBC Sports Personality award". BBC Sport. BBC Sport. 13 December 2009. Retrieved 13 December 2009.
  38. ^ "Ryan Giggs signs new deal at Manchester United". BBC Sport. BBC Sport. 18 December 2009. Retrieved 18 December 2009.
  39. ^ "Players of the Decade: #1". ManUtd.com. Manchester United. 31 December 2009. Retrieved 31 December 2009.
  40. ^ McNulty, Phil (24 April 2010). "Man Utd 3–1 Tottenham". BBC Sport. BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
  41. ^ Chowdhury, Saj (16 August 2010). "Man Utd 3–0 Newcastle". BBC Sport. BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 August 2010.
  42. ^ Bartram, Steve (16 January 2011). "Milestone man marches on". ManUtd.com. Manchester United. Retrieved 16 January 2011.
  43. ^ Mike Adamson and John Ashdown (6 October 2004). "Could Ryan Giggs have played for England?". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 26 September 2009.
  44. ^ Green the younger to eclipse Giggs' mark, The Independent, 3 June 1998. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
  45. ^ Wales 2–0 Azerbaijan
  46. ^ "Brazil's Dunga dazzled by Giggs". London: BBC Sport. 6 September 2006. Retrieved 29 January 2009.
  47. ^ "Giggs ends international career". London: BBC Sport. 30 May 2007. Retrieved 29 January 2009.
  48. ^ "17th Football Presentation Awards Evening". Football Association of Wales. 13 November 2007. Retrieved 1 January 2008.
  49. ^ Bloom, Mark (26 March 2010). "Ryan Giggs considers Wales return". Western Mail. Media Wales. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
  50. ^ "Ryan Giggs plays down talk of a Wales return". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 26 March 2010. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
  51. ^ "Giggs off as Wales are beaten in Oslo". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 5 September 2001. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
  52. ^ "Hughes defends Giggs over red card". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 5 September 2001. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
  53. ^ "Eight charged after bust-up". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 24 September 2003. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
  54. ^ a b "Giggs handed two-match ban by UEFA". CNN.com. 5 December 2003. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
  55. ^ Includes other competitive competitions, including the FA Community Shield, UEFA Super Cup, Intercontinental Cup, FIFA Club World Cup
  56. ^ Endlar, Andrew. "Ryan Giggs". StretfordEnd.co.uk. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  57. ^ ".. Player - Ryan Giggs". National Football Teams. 1973-11-29. Retrieved 2010-12-19.
  58. ^ "Team of the Century: 1997-2007 - the Premiership's finest of the last decade". GiveMeFootball.com. Give Me Football. 5 September 2007. Retrieved 5 September 2007.
  59. ^ Giggs is Awarded Honorary Degree BBC, (15 July 2008). Retrieved on 15 July 2008.
  60. ^ a b "Giggs awarded freedom of Salford". BBC News. London: British Broadcasting Corporation. 7 January 2010. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
  61. ^ filter by all seasons, appearances
  62. ^ filter by, all seasons, assists, to verify that records don't go back to beginning of his career select pre 2001, assists
  63. ^ filter by all time
  64. ^ Benson, Andrew (1 March 2007). "Ryan Giggs in a league of his own". London: BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 October 2007.
  65. ^ a b David Mcdonnell. "Giggs' Amazing Career Secret". mirror.co.uk. Retrieved 2010-12-19.
  66. ^ "Ryan meets his match". ManUtd.com. 7 September 2007. Retrieved 8 September 2007.
  67. ^ Births England and Wales 1984–2006
  68. ^ Benson, Andrew (1 March 2007). "Ryan Giggs in a league of his own". London: BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 August 2008.
  69. ^ "Ryan Giggs speaks to Unicef". Retrieved 13 April 2008.
  70. ^ "Ryan Giggs reveals Wales and Man Utd managerial hopes". BBC.co.uk. 3 October 2010.

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