Ryan Giggs: A Manchester United Legend

The crowd backing the Red Devils at The Villa Park roared with ecstasy and immense joy, as they had just witnessed one of the greatest goals that the history of the sport has seen. Yes, we are talking about one of the greatest goals scored by one of the greatest footballers. We are talking about the 1999 FA Cup semi-final clash between Man United and Arsenal. Yet, this is just one mesmerizing moment from the pool of memories that an ardent fan of the legend will have in his/her pensieve. Over the years, the legend we are talking about, Ryan Giggs – if you are yet to figure him out, has produced some magical moments that one would never forget.

A lot has been said and a lot will be said about Ryan Giggs, a player who has participated in each of the Premier League seasons since its inception, and more astoundingly, scored in every one of them except for this season. Ryan Giggs has always been a conundrum to defenders across Europe, and what is more surprising is the way he still maintains his level of performance. He has been a symbol of consistency, loyalty and every other quality that one would expect from a footballer. He is not just a footballer; he is a man with supreme devotion to his club, a player with born leadership, a man with never-say-die mentality, and a man who is truly a ‘Legend’.

Ryan Giggs in his early days.

He was playing in the school boy team of Manchester City, and was constantly scouted by Harold Wood, who was the Manchester United steward. Sir Alex Ferguson, seeing the thirteen year old Giggs play against United U-15s, decided to sign him; he went to the household of Giggs on his 14^th birthday and gave him an offer that he couldn’t refuse. Giggs then signed the papers to become a United player.

“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.

He was rewarded with his first professional start against Manchester City in the year 1991, and he repaid the faith shown in him with a wonderful goal. His amazing performances and consistency ensured that Giggs cemented his place in the left wing. Further, the Manchester United youth set-up ensured that his talent was not wasted, and they developed him into a brilliant winger. Manchester United’s famous Never-say-die mentality was imparted into him in the process.

On seeing the talent of Giggs, George Best once said,“One day they might even say that I was another Ryan Giggs.”

Twisting and turning with sheer pace down the left flank, even the best defenders found it difficult to solve the enigma they faced in the form of Giggs. The ball remained glued to his feet at whatever pace he was running, and most of the crosses that he made could have never been more accurate. If you ask any forward who had played alongside Giggs, let it be Yorke, Cole, Cantona or even Rooney, they will let you know how fortunate they were to play with him. If it is an acute pass from Giggs that gets two or three opponent players out of position, and finds a player down the wings who crosses the ball for someone else to score, he won’t get the statistical credit for the goal, but the fact is that he has been the player who has unlocked the door in the first place. But that is what he is there in the team for, even now. You can take the ball he provided to Van Persie recently against West Ham as a perfect example of his passing skills. That is what Ferguson has trained him to do over the years, and that is how the team is built around.

The more interesting thing to note is the number of goals he has scored till now. He has scored some magnificent goals. He is not just a wide player who makes a lot of assists; rather, he is a winger who scores a lot of goals. That is where his real power lies. He has got a lot of ways to get the ball across the line. Long shots, tap ins and one shouldn’t forget the aerial threat he poses to the opposition. His exquisite ability of beating players off the pace and dribbling past the defenders is a treat to watch, and if the ball happens to find the back of the net, there is nothing more delightful to the eyes.

“This is embarrassing to say but I have cried twice in my life watching a football player. The first one was Maradona and the second was Ryan Giggs” - Alessandro Del Piero.

Giggs with his PFA young player of the year award.

He is one of the most decorated players in the history of British football. He has won 12 Premier league titles, 4 FA Cups, 3 League Cups and 2 Champions League titles in the colours of Manchester United.Yet, he plays with the same enthusiasm and exuberance as he did when he was 16. Only when he hangs up his boots and looks back at his career medals will he realize what he has achieved.

Talking about personal achievements, is there any end to them? He was the first player in history to win two consecutive PFA Young Player of the Year awards (1992 and 1993), though he did not win the PFA Player of the Year award until 2009. He was elected into the PFA Team of the Century in 2007, the Premier League Team of the Decade in 2003, as well as the FA Cup Team of the Century. He has the record for most number of assists in the Premier League, and these are just small drops in an infinitely long ocean.

“I think it will only be when he hangs up his boots that people will realize just how remarkable a player he is and just what he has achieved.” – Rio Ferdinand

To play at the highest level for twenty long years is certainly a marvellous achievement. Many wingers came and went, but every one of them lost their place in the team either temporarily or permanently to Ryan Giggs, and he kept on going. He has been a regular player for one of the best teams in the country for two decades, and he had to do that when they had the ability to go out searching for a replacement in every January or July. Playing for so long, without any contract issues, without any transfer requests, is truly the quality of a legend.

“It’s almost impossible to replace a player like Ryan Giggs – you do not find many players like him. He is a rarity. He has world class attributes and has achieved so much at one club. You can only look up to him”

- Sir Alex Ferguson

He is a Manchester boy, a Manchester United fan, and it still means to him a lot to wear the Manchester United jersey though he has worn it for more than 900 times. Sometimes we have no words to describe a legend, and Giggs certainly comes under that category. I thought that the best way to end this article is by giving a quote which says it all about the legend whom we Red Devils are proud to have.

“So the best tribute we can pay to Ryan Giggs is not that he compares to Best or anyone. It is to say that he won the right to be Ryan Giggs.”