An era of Ryan Giggs - Manchester United icon

Ryan Giggs

“I remember the first time I saw him. He was 13 and just floated over the ground like a cocker spaniel chasing a piece of silver paper in the wind” – Sir Alex Ferguson on Ryan Giggs.

In a career spanning close to 23 years and counting, Ryan Joseph Giggs has won most of what any professional footballers set out to achieve. More importantly, he has won the hearts of millions of football enthusiasts around the globe. The three qualities/achievements of Ryan Giggs, that a young aspiring footballer should look to emulate -Longevity, Medal Haul and Humility.

As they say, talent is only half of your potential. The rest of it comes with immense hard work, perseverance and patience. Having started out as a left winger who left defenders with twisted blood due to his pace and guile, the Welshman has had to adapt to suit the requirements of his team. The earlier lung bursting runs were now replaced with craftiness, awareness, positioning and precise passes.

His youthful naiveté has hence metamorphosed into an experienced leader who can dictate the pace of the game. The effort to extend his longevity by his own admission had come with immense efforts to adapt his body to the needs of the modern game.The central theme for the success of the Welsh maestro revolves around needing to ‘adapt and adopt’ new ways and means to responds to the demands of football.

Purely in terms of success, he is unrivalled in the premier league. 13 Premier League trophies, countless personal accolades (among them, being named as Manchester United’s greatest ever player by a worldwide poll conducted by United’s official magazine and website) and the record of being the only player to have scored in every season of the Premier League since its inception is no mean feat. He has played against every team to have been included in the Premier League, barring of course Manchester United. His countless trophies and accolades notwithstanding, the hunger for success is still visible in his eyes – a quality, very rare for an athlete who has been at the top for so long.

Lastly of course, his humility – never has he been red carded when in a Manchester United shirt! His on field behavior is truly a shining example of a professional footballer’s conduct. Never will you see Giggs unnecessarily badgering the referee, faking injuries, diving and groveling among other such examples now adopted by the modern players for their own benefit. There is something very old school about Giggs and yet he is like a modern example to players who are said to be on the decline by age 29-30 (Sneijder?). His role as a leader was amply defined when he was the main link between the new manager and the players post Sir Alex’s retirement. In his role as a Player-Coach for Manchester United, one can only hope that the younger players at United imbibe some of these qualities and fulfill their potential.

A generation of players have come and gone and yet there is Ryan Giggs – “Tearing you apart since 1991″. You are the W.G Grace of Premier League football! Salute!