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Ryan Giggs

Personal information
Full name	Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Position(s)	Winger Second striker Attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team	Manchester United
Number	11

Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE (born Ryan Joseph Wilson on 29 November 1973 in Ely, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom) is a Welsh footballer who has played for Manchester United as a left midfielder for the entirety of his club career to-date. However due to Giggs's age, he has been made to play deeper in central midfield instead of left wing. Giggs holds a slew of football records including being the most decorated player in British Football history, as well as the most successful English League winner as he collected his 10th FA Premier League winning medal on 11 May 2008.

Giggs was the first player in history to win the PFA Young Player of the Year award consecutively and as of today has played and scored in every single season of the FA Premier League since its inception, also holding the league's records for most all time goal assists with 289 assists in 535 appearances. Giggs has had a stellar domestic and continental career and is the first player in UEFA Champions League history to have scored in 12 successive seasons, on top of being elected into the PFA Team of the Century in 2007, the English Premiership Team of the Decade, in 2003, as well as the FA Cup Team of the Century. Giggs is also the only United player to have played in all 10 Premier League winning teams and the only Manchester United player to have played in both 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.

On the 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. As well as the many honours Giggs has received within football such as being named in the Football League 100 Legends, he was awarded an OBE in the Queen's 2007 Birthday Honours List, and was inducted into the exclusive English Football Hall of Fame in 2005, for his services to English Football.

Early years

Giggs was born in Cardiff, Wales, to Danny Wilson, a rugby union player for Cardiff RFC, and Lynne Giggs (now Lynne Johnson). As a child, Giggs spent much of his time with his mother's parents and playing football on the roads outside their house. In 1980, when Giggs was six years old, his father switched rugby codes and signed for Swinton RLC, forcing the whole family to move north to 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.

In Manchester, Giggs' local team was 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 to Giggs that he was 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' performance, and would have recommended him to the Liverpool management, had Giggs not already been picked up by Manchester United.

While playing for Deans, Giggs would be watched regularly by local newsagent and Old Trafford steward Harold Wood. Wood regularly told the senior staff at Manchester United about Giggs, but they did not send anyone down to watch him until Wood spoke personally to Alex Ferguson. Wood told the United boss "He's with City at the moment, and if you lose him you'll regret it". So Ferguson sent a scout to a Deans match, who was impressed enough that United offered Giggs a trial over the Christmas period in 1986. Prior to the trial, 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. The following November, on Giggs' 14th birthday, Ferguson turned up at Giggs' house with United scout Joe Brown and offered him two years on associate schoolboy forms. They also waived YTS forms, and persuaded Giggs with the opportunity to turn professional in three years. Giggs signed there and then.

He represented England at Schoolboy level (as Ryan Wilson) playing at Wembley Stadium against Germany in 1989. Ryan changed his surname at the age of 16, two years after his parents' separation, so "the world would know he was his mother's son." Lawrie McMenemy, then-coach of the England Under-21 team, checked to see whether Giggs was eligible to play for England. However, he was rebuffed after finding that Giggs had no English grandparents, and was only available to play for Wales and Sierra Leone, the home of his paternal grandfather.

Manchester United first team

Overview

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 has played the most competitive games for the club, and holds the club record of team trophies won by a player (23). Since 1992, he has collected ten Premier League winner's medals, four FA Cup winner's medals, two League Cup winner's medals and two Champions League winner's medals. He also has runner-up medals from two FA Cup finals and two Football 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.

Beginnings

Giggs turned professional on 29 November 1990 (his 17th birthday) and made his League debut against Everton F.C. at Old Trafford on 2 March 1991, as a substitute for Denis Irwin. In his first full start, Giggs was credited with his first ever goal in a 1-0 win in the Manchester derby, though it appeared to be a Colin Hendry own goal.

He became a first-team regular early in the 1991-92 season, yet remained active with the youth system - captaining the team, made up of many of "Fergie's Fledglings", to an FA Youth Cup triumph in 1992. Giggs broke into the first team even though he was still aged only 17, and paved the way as the first of many Manchester United youth players to rise into the first team under Ferguson; a mark of his skill and maturity early on. That season, Giggs played in the team that finished as runners-up to Leeds United in the final year of old First Division before the advent of the Premier League. 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.

Superstardom

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. 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.

He was afforded many opportunities which were not normally offered to footballers at his young age, such as hosting his own television show, Ryan Giggs' Soccer Skills. A book based on the series was also released. He was part of the league's attempt to market itself globally, re-forging its image after the hooliganism-affected years of the 1980s.

His goals were regularly shortlisted for various Goal of the Season awards, and tended to be memorable, particularly the ones 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 just after Patrick Vieira had given the ball away, then ran away from the half-way line, dribbling past the whole Arsenal back line, including Tony Adams and Martin Keown before launching his left-footed strike just under David Seaman's bar and beyond him. It does have 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 have been decided in a single game, with extra time and a penalty shootout if required.

By the late 1990s, with the retirement of Eric Cantona and the emergence of younger players like David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, Philip Neville and Nicky Butt. Giggs missed several games due to injury, but his form was consistently excellent and he played in both cup finals that the club reached 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.

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. Giggs was also the Man of the Match as United beat Palmeiras to claim the Intercontinental Cup that year.

In November 2003, Giggs was mentioned in an episode of The Simpsons, entitled "The Regina Monologues", which takes place in England. In response to Marge complaining that Homer punched out three people on the street, Homer replies, "That was over soccer results. Can you believe they gave Giggs a yellow card in the box?!". Giggs therefore has the distinction of being the only Premier League footballer to be mentioned on the show. Some claim that Giggs was the only ever footballer mentioned onThe Simpsons until an episode in season 18 featuring Ronaldo.

The later years

Giggs was one of United's most experienced and senior players at United when Denis Irwin left in May 2002, and he became a pivotal part of the club, despite still being only 28 years old. 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. A year later, he bagged his 100th career goal in a draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

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.

After that season, Giggs signed a two-year contract extension with United when chairman David Gill relented on his normal policy of not signing players over 30 to contracts longer than one year. This would keep him at Old Trafford until at least June 2008. Giggs has also 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, Ryan 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 Tevez to score his first United goal. Giggs signed a contract extension that will keep him at Old Trafford until the end of the 2008-09 season, when he will be 35. His manager has since hinted that this contract could be extended, but that in the future he is unlikely to keep his position on the wing, instead playing in less energy sapping central roles.

Until the start of the 2008/2009 season, Giggs is one of only two players to have scored in every single FA Premier League season since its inception in 1992. Giggs scored his 100th league goal for United against Derby County on 8 December 2007, which United won 4-1. More landmarks have been achieved: on 20 February 2008 he made his 100th appearance in the UEFA Champions League in a game against Lyon, 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. Fittingly, Giggs scored the second goal in that match, sealing the League title for United and also marking the tenth time he has won the FA Premier League trophy. 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 multiple Champions League finals.

At the start of Manchester United's 2008/2009 campaign, Sir Alex Ferguson began placing Ryan 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 2 assists in 2 games, against Middlesbrough and AAB Aalborg. Sir Alex Ferguson said in an interview, "Ryan(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."

International career

As a youngster, Giggs captained England Schoolboys but played for the Welsh national team as an adult.

Giggs won 64 caps and scored 12 goals for the Welsh national team between 1991 and 2007. He was appointed captain of Wales in 2004.

Giggs received criticism for his reluctance to participate in friendly international matches. Since his début in 1991 against West Germany, Giggs failed to attend a friendly international until some nine years later, missing 18 consecutive friendly games. The official reason given for such absences was that Giggs was injured on each occasion. However, Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson in fact had a policy of refusing to release the player for friendly games.

In September 2006, Giggs 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.

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. 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.

Discipline

Giggs had a very good disciplinary record during his early career receiving relatively few bookings. In fact, he has never been sent off when playing for Manchester United and only once when playing for Wales. His only red card came in 2001 in an international match against Norway, which Wales lost. In November 2003, he was found guilty of improper conduct by the FA due to his behaviour following a game against Arsenal. In the same week, Giggs received a two-match suspension from international football for deliberately elbowing Russian player Vadim Yevseyev in the face. The offence was missed by the referee but he was later charged using video evidence.

Personal life

Giggs was involved in controversy in November 1997, when his then-girlfriend Davinia Murphy alleged he assaulted her in a nightclub, claiming he punched her in the stomach and face.

Giggs has starred in adverts for Reebok, Sovil Titus, Citizen Watches, Givenchy, Fuji, Patek Phillipe, Quorn Burgers 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."

Giggs married his long-term partner Stacey Cooke in a private ceremony on 7 September 2007 . They currently have two children.

Campaigner

In recent years, Giggs has also become a UNICEF representative, launching a campaign to prevent landmines from killing children in 2002. Giggs, who had visited UNICEF projects in Thailand, 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."

Career statistics

Club	Season	League		FA Cup		League Cup		Europe		Other		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	5	1	0	1	0	37	9
	1998–99	24	3	6	2	1	0	9	5	1	0	41	10
	1999–2000	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	3	0	0	0	1	1	2	0	1	0	7	1
Total		538	101	62	10	31	8	120	25	15	1	766	145

Statistics accurate as of match played 4 October 2008

Honours

Giggs is the most decorated player in the history of English football, with 20 major honours, each of which under the management of Alex Ferguson.

• Premier League
  • Winner (10): 1992-93, 1993-94, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2006-07, 2007-08
  • Runner-up (3): 1994-95, 1997-98, 2005-06
• Football League First Division
  • Runner-up (1): 1991-92
• FA Cup
  • Winner (4): 1993-94, 1995-96, 1998-99, 2003-04
  • Runner-up (3): 1994-95, 2004-05, 2006-07
• Football League Cup
  • Winner (2): 1991-92, 2005-06
  • Runner-up (2): 1993-94, 2002-03
• FA Community Shield
  • Winner (7): 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2007, 2008
  • Runner-up (5): 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004
• UEFA Champions League
  • Winner (2): 1998-99, 2007-08
• UEFA Super Cup
  • Winner (1): 1991
  • Runner-up (1): 1999
• Intercontinental Cup
  • Winner (1): 1999
• FA Youth Cup
  • Winner (1): 1991-92

Individual

• FA Premier League Player of the Month: September 1993, August 2006, February 2007
• Intercontinental Cup Man of the Match: 1999
• Manchester United Players Player of the Year Award: 2005-06
• Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year Award: 1997-98
• U-21 European Footballer of the Year: (1993)
• Wales Player of the Year Award: 1996, 2006
• BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year: 1996
• Inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame: 2005
• Inducted into the Premiership Team of the Decade: 2003
• Inducted into the FA Challenge Cup Team of the Century: 2006
• Inducted into the PFA Team Of The Century: 2007
• Only Manchester United player to have played in all 10 Premiership title winning teams; also a record of English title holders overall
• Only Manchester United player to have played in both League Cup winning teams
• Only player to have scored in 12 consecutive Champions League tournaments
• Only player to have played and won two Champions League finals for Man Utd
• Only player to have won 7 FA Community Shields: a British record.
• Along with Gary Speed, the only player to have scored in every Premier League campaign since its inception
• Member of PFA Team of the Year: 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2001, 2007
• OBE for services to football
• Awarded an honorary degree (Master of Arts) from Salford University on 15 July 2008 for contributions to football and charity work in developing countries.

Records & other awards

Giggs has won PFA Young Player of the Year award twice (1992 and 1993), making him the first player to win the award in consecutive years - a feat matched only by Robbie Fowler and current team-mate Wayne Rooney. Giggs holds many other records, including that of the top all-time scorer in the FA Premier League not to play regularly in the position of striker, and holds the record for scoring Manchester United's fastest goal (15 seconds), set in November 1995 against Southampton. Fans have also voted that Giggs scored Manchester United's greatest goal, in the semi-final of the 1999 FA Cup against Arsenal where he beat four defenders (Lee Dixon twice) to score.

External links

• Ryan Giggs – FIFA competition record (archived)
• Ryan Giggs at Soccerbase
• FootballDatabase provides Ryan Giggs’ profile and stats
• Manchester United Official Website Biography
• The National Football Museum Hall of Fame
• Ryan Giggs Official Website at Icons.com
• Ryan Giggs | Manchester United & Wales :: Version 2.0
• BBC profile of Giggs
• Ryan Giggs pictured as part of the Moorside High School basketball team
• Ryan Giggs v Arsenal (FA Cup Semi-Final Replay 1999)

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