As you?ve no doubt heard in the media recently, Manchester United and Wales forward Ryan Giggs celebrated his fortieth birthday. Nothing overtly remarkable in that ? I celebrated my own ?Life Begins At? milestone last year. But as I?m only fourteen months older than the now British football legend, I have watched his career with interest, appreciated how he plays, savoured the goals he has scored, and admired his work-rate, even though the thought of the choice of employer Mr Giggs has decided to spend his entire career with leaves an unpleasant taste in my mouth at times. Or was that Sir Alex? Hmmm?..
When Giggs broke into the United first team as an awkward looking teenager with a nasty haircut in the early nineties, I was ?alledged? envolved within my A Level studies at Sixth Form. He was a sensation, a breath of fresh air. United had been crying out for a player of his ilk for years, they just needed a few more of a similar vein. England have had a perpetual problem with finding a gifted player for the left flank, and now here was one. Praise the lord, it?s a miracle!! He had already represented England Schoolboys (the Under 16s side), so by natural progression would be a dead-cert for the full squad for Euro ?96 and beyond. Sadly, it transpired Giggs was Welsh by birth-right, so he opted to play for the Red Dragon, not the Three Lions. Humph!!!
Over the following seasons, Sir Alex created a team that would win the top honours ? I don?t need to preach chapter and verse, we all know what the club went onto achieve, with Giggs a central part of his plans. The two things I do take my hat off to Giggs for, is his loyalty to one club and a certain goal he scored in the F.A Cup Semi Final Replay in 1999.
In the modern game, loyalty and fidelity seems a long lost, bygone ideal, with players switching clubs at will. Have boots, will travel seems to be the motto of the present day soccer mercenary. Giggs however, has played his whole club career adorned in the red shirt of United. Admittedly, winning trophy after trophy has helped him to decide to remain at Old Trafford. I doubt very much if he?d have remained at a smaller club for so long, for example my own beloved Sky Blues. But then, other so called ?star? players have left United for pastures new, baffling the Stretford End faithful as to why leave for something not so good. I admire the way Giggs also never decided to take the ?foreign legion? shilling, like Beckham and Ronaldo have done. He appears to have stayed loyal to the club that gave him his start in his dream profession. His longevity in top flight football is such, he is the last player still actively playing in the top tier of English league football who has also played in the old First Division, pre-Premier League.
As for that afore-mentioned goal, it?s unusual for me to rave about a score from a source that is not either my favourite team or my country. My all-time favourites are, in no particular order (as is said on X Factor every weekend) :-
Darren Huckerby, for Coventry City against Manchester United, December 1997
Cyrille Regis, for Coventry City against Everton, May 1985
Keith Houchen, for Coventry City against Tottenham Hotspur, 1987 F.A Cup Final
Paul Gascoigne, for England against Scotland, 1996 European Championships
Michael Owen, for England against Argentina, 1998 World Cup Finals
Giggs scored a delight out of the top draw during the 1999 F.A Cup Semi Final Replay against Arsenal, which had all the more significance as his side were chasing that immortal treble. United had been reduced to ten men, plus Peter Schmeichel had saved a last minute penalty from Arsenal?s Dennis Bergkamp to take the match into extra-time. With just ten minutes left, the Gunners ever reliable midfield general Patrick Viera attempted a cross-field pass which was a tad lazy and slow. Giggs intercepted the ball deep within his own half, and set off towards the opposition?s goal. First of all, the Welshman evaded a recovery tackle from Viera, attempting to make up for his mistake. As Giggs flew towards the Arsenal penalty area, he slipped past Lee Dixon, a lunging tackle from Martin Keown, and was gradually being pushed out towards the left of the pitch. The angle for a shot was becoming more and more acute. All United supporters must have been screaming at Giggs to pass to someone else in a better position, but he kept running. Arsenal captain Tony Adams attempted a last ditch block, but by the time he had slid into a useful place, Giggs had unleashed a shot that flew across David Seaman and into the roof of the net. United were in the lead ? the treble was still on.
These days it?s unusual to have such a versatile player in your side, who can slip into a variety of positions and look superb in them all, as to hopeless outside their favourite, chosen role. Giggs is mainly a left winger, but has played for United and Wales as an out and out forward, central midfield, even left back in an emergency. I can only think of Stevie Gerrard who can currently do same with such ease.
The only record now Giggs might have trouble achieving due to the pace and physical demands of the modern game, is the oldest palyer ever to have appeared in English top flight league football. That honour is still held by another tricky, attacking winger, someone else who was a joy to watch (so I?m told, as I?m too young to have seen him play, so have viewed him in action on Youtube), another legend of the game who had just turned fifty when he made his last and final appearance of Stoke City against Fulham in a Division One fixture in February 1965. Sir Stanley Matthews. With all that Ryan Giggs has achieved in his career, don?t count against him adding this to his CV.
Source: DSG
Source: DSG