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English Football Legends Series

A pacy left-winger with superb control and awesome dribbling skills, Ryan Giggs is also a model professional, and the most decorated man in English football history.

Ryan Giggs

Clubs: Manchester United

Position: Winger / Midfielder

Appearances*: 588

Goals*: 108

Honours: Premier League, 11
FA Cup, 4
League Cup, 4
UEFA Champions League, 2

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* League appearances and goals only

Signing for United

Giggs signed for Manchester United as an associated schoolboy on 29 November 1987, having previously been at Manchester City's School of Excellence.

He turned professional 3 years later, and made his first team debut against Everton at Old Trafford on 2 March 1991, in a 2-0 defeat.

His first United goal came in a 1-0 Manchester derby win on 4 May 1991.

Two weeks later, United faced Barcelona in the European Cup Winners' Cup final. Giggs didn't make the 16-man squad, but the following season he was a first-team regular as United finished runners-up to Leeds in the final pre-Premier League season.

Giggs collected the first piece of his considerable silverware haul on 12 April 1992, United beating Nottingham Forest 1-0 in the League Cup Final.

At the end of the season, he received the PFA Young Player of the Year award.

By the start of the first Premier League season (1992/93), Ryan Giggs was firmly established as United's first choice left winger, and was spoken of as United's best prospect since George Best.

He played a key role as United secured their first league title win since 1967.

The Double

In the following campaign, United claimed the lead after just 4 games and stayed top throughout the rest of the season.

They also won the FA Cup to claim the club's first 'Double', but missed out on a unique domestic treble by losing 3-1 to Aston Villa in the League Cup final.

1994/95 was a frustrating year for both club and player. Niggling injuries and a loss of form saw Giggs Premier League appearances restricted, while United surrendered the Premier League title to Blackburn, and also lost the FA Cup final.

That close season saw the departure of senior players Mark Hughes, Paul Ince, and Andrei Kanchelskis.

United began the 1995/96 campaign without a major signing, instead promoting the likes of Gary Neville, Nicky Butt, David Beckham and Paul Scholes from the youth ranks, causing many pundits to write off their title hopes.

A Second Double

When they lost their first league match 3-1 to Aston Villa, it appeared the experts may be right, but they won their next five games, and continued to excel as they chased down runaway league leaders Newcastle.

Newcastle had a 10-point lead at Christmas but that was reduced to a single point after Man United's 1-0 victory at St James' Park on 4 March.

United went top soon after, and won the title with a final day victory over Middlesbrough.

A 1-0 win over Liverpool in the FA Cup final completed a second Double - the first team in English football to achieve the feat.

The following season, United retained their title, and enjoyed a good run in the UEFA Champions League, bowing out to Borussia Dortmund, in the semi-final.

The Treble

1987/88 was a rare trophy-less season for United, but in 1998/99 they recorded a historic treble of League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions league.

Giggs had endured a frustrating campaign, with his appearances again restricted by injury.

However, when he did return he was in exceptional form, winning the FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal with an amazing solo goal, then scoring a last minute equalizer against Juventus in the UEFA Champions League semi.

United edged the league title by a single point from Arsenal, then completed a routine 2-0 victory over Newcastle in the FA Cup final.

Four days later they faced Bayern Munich in the Champions League final. With 90 minutes on the clock United trailed 1-0, but managed an amazing turnaround in the 3 minutes of stoppage time.

Giggs set up the equalising goal for Teddy Sheringham, before Ole Gunnar Solskjaer won it with virtually the last kick of the game.

Ryan Giggs became United's longest serving player when Denis Irwin left in May 2002, and, despite still being in his twenties was a senior member of the young squad.

United were Premier League champions in three of the next four seasons, and in 2001/02, Giggs celebrated 10 years at the club.

However, it was a season to forget for United, they finished third behind Arsenal and Liverpool, and were knocked out by Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League.

A year later, Ryan Giggs scored his 100th career goal in a draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

In 2003/04 he won a fourth FA Cup medal as Manchester United beat Millwall 3-0.

Hall of Famer

Ryan Giggs was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2005 , but there was disappointment for United as Jose Mourinho's Chelsea won the Premier League title.

Chelsea were champions again the following season, but in 2006/07, United ended their 3-year wait when they regained the title. It was Giggs 9th title, beating the previous record of eight he had shared with Alan Hansen and Phil Neal.

In the 2007/08 season, Giggs faced challenges to his place from newcomers Nani and Anderson, but remained the favoured choice.

He scored his 100th league goal for United on 8 December 2007, in a 4-1 win over Derby County.

On 11 May 2008 he came on as a substitute to equal Sir Bobby Charlton's appearance record for the club, and claimed the record outright on 21 May 2008, as a 87th minute substitute for Paul Scholes in the Champions League Final.

United won the game, with Chelsea, on penalties, after the first all English Champions League final had ended 1-1.

From the beginning of the 2008/09 campaign, Giggs started appearing in a deeper central midfield role rather than on the wing.

On 8 February 2009, he maintained his record of scoring in every Premier League season since its inception by scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win over West Ham United. He is the only player to have done so.

Player of the Year

Ryan Giggs was voted PFA Player of the Year in April 2009, despite having started just twelve games during the season.

He made his 800th Manchester United appearance on 29 April 2009, and a fortnight later won his 11th Premier League title as United's draw with Arsenal confirmed them as champions.

However, there was disappointment in the Champions League. Giggs started the game but United were comprehensively outplayed, with Barcelona winning 2-0.

There was disappointment the following season as well, Chelsea regained the Premier League title and United were eliminated in the Champions League quarter-final on away goals.

They were left to console themselves with another League Cup triumph.

The Future

On 30 November 2009, it was reported that Ryan Giggs would sign an additional one-year contract which would run until the end of the 2010/11 season and see him record 20 years as a professional at Manchester United.

He has also started taking his coaching badges with a view to becoming a coach at the club once he eventually calls time on his amazing career.

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