Ryan Giggs (Part 1)

Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE is a Welsh football coach, former player, and co-owner of Salford City. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation. Giggs spent his entire professional career at Manchester United, where he also served as the club's interim player-manager and assistant manager. He is one of the most decorated footballers of all time, having made over 1,000 career appearances.Born in Cardiff, Giggs moved to Manchester at the age of six when his father joined Swinton RLFC. He began his career with Manchester City but joined Manchester United on his 14th birthday in 1987. Giggs made his professional debut for the club in 1991 and spent the next 23 years in the first team. He retired from playing at the end of the 2013–14 season, holding the club record for competitive appearances with 963.


During his time at Manchester United, Giggs won numerous titles, including 13 Premier League winner's medals, four FA Cup winner's medals, and two UEFA Champions League winner's medals, among others. He also represented the Wales national team, earning 64 caps between 1991 and 2007, and later became the manager of the team in January 2018.
Giggs holds several records, including being the first player to win two consecutive PFA Young Player of the Year awards, and he holds the record for the most assists in Premier League and UEFA Champions League history. He was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2009 and was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2007 Birthday Honours for his services to football.


Ryan Giggs was born in Canton, Cardiff, at St David's Hospital, to parents Danny Wilson and Lynne Giggs (now Lynne Johnson). His father, Danny Wilson, was a rugby union player for Cardiff RFC. Giggs comes from a mixed-race background, as his paternal grandfather is a Sierra Leone Creole. He has spoken openly about the racism he experienced during his childhood. Giggs grew up in Ely, a suburb of western Cardiff, alongside his younger brother, Rhodri, who later became a manager of EFL League Two club Salford City.


In 1980, when Giggs was six years old, his father switched from rugby union to rugby league and signed for Swinton RLFC, prompting the family to move to Swinton, Greater Manchester. This move was difficult for Giggs, who was close to his grandparents in Cardiff. Despite the relocation, Giggs would often return to Cardiff with his family during weekends and holidays.
In Swinton, Giggs played for the local team, Deans FC, under the coaching of Manchester City scout Dennis Schofield. Schofield recommended Giggs to Manchester City, and he joined their School of Excellence. Giggs also continued to play for Salford Boys, leading them to victory in the Granada Schools Cup competition at Anfield in 1987.


Giggs caught the attention of Manchester United through his performances for Salford Boys and Deans FC. United's manager, Alex Ferguson, sent a scout to watch Giggs play, and he was eventually offered a trial over the 1986 Christmas period. Giggs impressed Ferguson during a match against a United Under-15s side, scoring a hat-trick. On his 14th birthday, Ferguson visited Giggs' house with scout Joe Brown and offered him a two-year deal with the club. Giggs, then known as Ryan Wilson, later captained England at schoolboy level before changing his surname to Giggs at the age of 16, following his parents' separation and his mother's remarriage.


Ryan Giggs was offered his first professional contract on 29 November 1990, coinciding with his 17th birthday. He accepted the contract and officially became a professional footballer two days later, on 1 December 1990.At the time of Giggs' professional debut, Manchester United had recently won the FA Cup, their first major trophy under manager Alex Ferguson. Although they had struggled in the league in previous seasons, finishing mid-table, they were beginning to challenge the dominance of clubs like Liverpool and Arsenal. However, they finished sixth in the league that season.


Giggs made his League debut for Manchester United on 2 March 1991, coming on as a substitute in a match against Everton. His first full start came on 4 May 1991 in the Manchester derby, where he was credited with his first goal, although it was later deemed as an own goal by Colin Hendry. Despite this, Giggs was not included in the squad for the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final against Barcelona.In the following season, 1991-92, Giggs became a regular in the first team and also captained the youth team to an FA Youth Cup triumph.


Manchester United finished as runners-up to Leeds United in the league, but Giggs collected his first piece of silverware as they won the League Cup final against Nottingham Forest.
The 1992-93 season saw Giggs establish himself as United's first-choice left-winger, alongside the arrival of Eric Cantona. This season marked United's first top-division title win in 26 years, signaling the beginning of their dominance in the Premier League era. Giggs' performances earned him the PFA Young Player of the Year award.In the 1993-94 season, Giggs won his second consecutive league title and became the first player in history to achieve two consecutive PFA Young Player of the Year awards. He gained recognition for scoring spectacular goals, including a memorable solo effort against Arsenal in the FA Cup semi-final replay, which is often regarded as one of the greatest goals in FA Cup history.


In the 1994-95 season, Ryan Giggs faced injury setbacks, limiting him to 29 Premier League games and only 1 goal. Despite a late recovery of form and fitness, Manchester United fell short in their bid for major trophies. A draw against West Ham United on the final day of the season cost them the Premier League title, which went to Blackburn Rovers. In the FA Cup final against Everton, Giggs came on as a substitute, but United suffered a 1-0 defeat.
However, Giggs did find success in the Champions League, scoring twice in the opening game against IFK Göteborg. Despite his efforts, United failed to progress to the quarter-finals. He also scored in the FA Cup fourth-round victory over Wrexham, bringing his total goals for the season to four across all competitions.

References

1.  "Premier League clubs submit squad lists" (PDF). Premier League. 2 February 2012. p. 23. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
2. ^ "11. Ryan Giggs – Quote, Unquote". ManUtd.com. Manchester United. Archived from the original on 1 May 2013. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
3. ^ Whyatt, Chris (24 May 2011). "Ryan Giggs profile". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
4. ^ Darwin, Stephen (18 December 2007). "Is Ryan Giggs the Greatest Player of His Generation?". Football Fancast. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
5. ^ "Ranked! The 101 greatest football players of the last 25 years: full list". FourFourTwo (253 ed.). 13 February 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
6. ^ Dawnay, Oliver (8 July 2019). "Dani Alves: Full-back wins astonishing 43rd trophy of his career after Brazil beat Peru in Copa America final". talkSPORT. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023.
7. a b c Oxley, Sonia (5 March 2013). "United midfielder Giggs makes 1,000th appearance". Reuters. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
8. ^ Taylor, Louise (23 March 2017). "Gianluigi Buffon's 1,000th career game is testament to a beacon of stability". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
9. ^ "Ryan Giggs: Man Utd confirm Welshman's exit after 29 years". BBC Sport. 2 July 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
10. ^ Kane, Laura; Marshall, Adam (25 April 2013). "Video: 13 titles for glorious Giggs". ManUtd.com. Archived from the original on 7 February 2018.
11. a b "Ryan Giggs: Manchester United legend named Wales manager". BBC Sport. 15 January 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
12. a b Pritchard, Dafydd (19 November 2019). "Wales 2–0 Hungary". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
13. a b "Ryan Giggs: Wales manager will not take charge of November games". BBC Sport. 3 November 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2022.