Ryan Giggs – Where do I start with soon-to-be Sir Ryan Giggs? How about the fact that he is the most decorated player in British football, 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 single season of the Premier League since its inception.
He’s seen and done it all in his 20 years at United and captained the great FA Youth Cup team that included the likes of Paul Scholes, David Beckham, Nicky Butt as well as the Neville brothers.
Giggs was ear-marked as the new George Best when he began his United career after his mazy runs turned defences inside-out during and he has proved to be on a par with Best with what he’s achieved at club level.
Through no fault of his own, the only blemish on Giggs’ career is the fact that he has never played in an international tournament as his beloved Wales failed to make the final cut during his international career.
My greatest Giggs memory has to be that goal against Arsenal in 1999 (notice a trend yet?). The most remarkable of all, was 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 like they were training cones and made accomplished defenders including Tony Adams, Lee Dixon and Martin Keown look like amateurs 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, a bit of magic lost by the world’s oldest club competition, in my opinion.
Another great Giggs moment came in the Champions League final in 2008 where he became the clubs record appearance maker over-taking the legendary Sir Bobby Charlton and he replicated the great man’s achievement by scoring the winning penalty against Chelsea and lifted the European Cup for the second time.
Like all the others mentioned, Giggs’ attitude to the game and his professionalism that keeps him at the top of his game for 20 years makes him that little bit more special. To be playing at the consistent level he has been for so long is a miracle and with the way football is going, it will be virtually impossible to replicate his success.