Ryan Joseph Giggs

Monday, December 1, 2008

Ryan Joseph Giggs

Ryan Joseph Giggs (born Ryan Joseph Wilson on 29 November 1973 in Cardiff) is a Welsh football player, renowned throughout the world as being one of the greatest wingers in the history of the sport.

He was born in Wales to father Danny Wilson, a noted Rugby League player, and mother Lynne, but was brought up in England. Danny Wilson was of mixed race and Ryan Giggs has always expressed pride at his mixed heritage.

Giggs' current and only club so far is Manchester United. He is their longest-serving player and their 3rd most capped player of all time. Giggs had played for the England Schoolboys (which all schoolboys in England are eligible to do, regardless of nationality), but plays for the Welsh national team as an adult, once holding the record for being the youngest player to ever play for Wales.

Giggs is the most decorated footballer in the history of Manchester United, having won eight FA Premier League championships (a record he shares with Liverpool F.C.'s Alan Hansen, Phil Neal and Kenny Dalglish), four FA Cup titles, two League Cup titles and one Champions League.

He has also won the PFA Young Player of the Year award twice, 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 in the position of striker, and, interestingly, holds the record for scoring Manchester United's fastest goal (15 seconds), set in November 1995 against Southampton F.C., and is currently the only player to have scored in every Premiership campaign (Gary Speed, another Welsh midfielder, can equal this record, but has yet to score in 2006-07).

Personal information
Full name	Ryan Joseph Giggs
Date of birth	29 November 1973
Place of birth	Cardiff, Wales
Height	5'11" / 1.80 m
Nickname	The Welsh Wizard, Giggsy
Position	Left wing, centre midfield
Club information
Current club	Manchester United
Youth clubs
	Manchester City, Manchester United
Professional clubs*
Years	Club	Apps (goals)
1990-	Manchester United F.C.	674 (134)
National team**
1991-	Wales	56 (11)
* Professional club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of February 26 2006. ** National team caps and goals correct as of February 26 2006.

He also has the honour of scoring Manchester United's greatest goal as voted by the fans. The goal in question was scored in the semi-final of the FA cup in 1999 against Arsenal where Giggs beat 4 defenders (Lee Dixon twice) to score. Giggs's squad number for both Manchester United and Wales is 11. He is known affectionately as The Welsh Wizard to the United faithful.

Beginnings

Giggs began his football career at Manchester City, signed as a 14 year old by the club after being spotted on the streets of Manchester. His mazy dribbling skills would earn him comparisons to players such as George Best, Diego Maradona, and Johan Cruyff.

Giggs's talent grew in reputation, and thus Alex Ferguson, manager of Manchester United, went to his house to urge him to sign for Manchester United instead of Manchester City. He persuaded Giggs by waiving YTS Scheme forms with the opportunity to turn professional in three years. Giggs ended up signing with Manchester United.

Similarly, England Under-21 coach Lawrie McMenemy checked to see whether he was eligible to play for the nation. Contrary to popular belief, Giggs could not have played for the full England national side. He was only eligible to play for the English Schools' team because he went to school there. In order to play for the England national football team, he would have had to have been born in England or have had English parents or grandparents. However, both his parents and all four grandparents are Welsh. Giggs has often been seen by England supporters as the dream solution to the lack of left-sided English talent for the national team during the 1990s.

A left-sided winger who occasionally plays as a supporting striker for United, Giggs shot to superstardom in Great Britain in 1992 as one of the most exciting talents in the history of the game when he was barely 18 years old. He earned the tag of Boy Wonder, and in one description by the tabloids, became The boy who converted a million innocent teenage hearts into United fans.

He was arguably the first teenage football poster boy to have garnered such attention since the likes of George Best, a player Giggs has been compared to, and who, alongside Bobby Charlton, personally went down to United's training sessions at 'the Cliff' specifically to watch Giggs play. Giggs's form in the years to come was impeccable, earning him two PFA Young Player of the Year awards and admirers world-wide. Other world-class players like Roberto Baggio described Giggs as 'the most exciting British footballer' they had seen in years. According to an article in World Soccer by Stephen Thanabalan he was, alongside Steve McManaman, regarded as the leader of a new breed of creative new wingers in the English game that was crucial to its new image, dispensing with that of the often seen as 'boring' long-ball styles of previous generations.

Superstardom

In 1994, the BBC described Giggs as "one of the most photographed persons" in Great Britain. Giggs or "Giggsy" as he was known, was also hailed as one of the FA Premier League's biggest stars and could often be found as the picturebook merchandising icon of the league's early years. He (along with Jamie Redknapp and Lee Sharpe) was part of the league's attempt to market itself globally, reforging its image after the hooliganism affected years of the 1980s.

Giggs turned professional in November 1990 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 scored his first ever goal in a 1-0 win in the Manchester derby. He collected his first piece of silverware in 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.

By the start of the 1992-93 season - the first season of the newly-formed FA Premier League, Giggs made the left-wing position at United his own, and became known as one of British football's most prodigious young players. His emergence, and the arrival of Eric Cantona (who later claimed that he had a telepathic understanding Giggs) heralded the dominance of United in the new Premier League.

His ability to consistently dribble past opposing players by using his own exceptional balance, pace, and skill to beat players he ran at became the most noticeable aspect of his game. Giggs was also renowned for pre-meditating celebrations with team-mates, such as Paul Ince and Andrei Kanchelskis. 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, which was a hit with ITV and Granada in 1994.

Ryan Giggs chants often heard from the fans during the Manchester United games include:

"Ryan Giggs, Ryan Giggs, Running down the wing, Ryan Giggs, Ryan Giggs, Can do anything, Feared by the Blues, Loved by the Reds, Ryan Giggs, Ryan Giggs, Ryan Giggs."

and:

"Giggs, Giggs will tear you apart, again"

the latter adapted from the enduringly popular Joy Division song, 'Love Will Tear Us Apart'.

His goals were constantly on shortlists for Goal of the Season and tended to be memorable, particularly the ones against Queens Park Rangers F.C. in 1993, Tottenham Hotspur F.C. in 1994, Everton F.C. in 1995, Coventry City F.C. in 1996, and the most remarkable of all, his amazing solo-goal against Arsenal F.C. 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 backline, including Tony Adams and Martin Keown before launching his left-footed strike just under David Seaman's bar and beyond him. It has been hailed as one of the best goals ever scored in the competition.

By the late 1990s, with the retirement of Eric Cantona and the emergence of Giggs's fellow fledgling young colleagues like David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, Philip Neville and Nicky Butt, Giggs's popularity and fame gradually dissipated. However, his football skill was still marked genius, and he developed into a more mature senior player by the time United won their record breaking and unprecedented "Treble" in 1999. This achievement aided by Giggs's form and key contributions in several tournaments. Memorable was his extra-time goal in the FA Cup semi-final against arch-rivals Arsenal (see above) to give United a 2-1 win, and his 90th minute equalizer in the home leg of the Champions League semi-final against Juventus F.C..

Giggs set up the equalising goal scored by Teddy Sheringham in the 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. He has been considered a Manchester United 'Legend'.

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?!"

The latter years

Giggs was one of United's the most experienced and senior players at United when Denis Irwin left, and he become a pivotal part of the club. According to a BBC Sport article in 2003, "the trajectory of Giggs' United career follows that of the club almost exactly", underlining his importance to United.

Giggs's form in the years after the achievements of 1999 were reflective of Manchester United's dominance of the English game up until 2003 (when the club won its last FA Premier League title)- with Giggs still relishing his left wing slot. United won the League title four times within those years, and had always made it to UEFA Champions League Quarter-Finals at the very least. He celebrated his 10-year anniversary at Old Trafford with a testimonial match against Glasgow Celtic at the start of the 2001-02 campaign. A year later, he bagged his 100th career goal in a draw with Chelsea F.C. at Stamford Bridge.

With the departure of David Beckham to Real Madrid before the 2003-04 season, many United fans were concerned that the team would lose its world class set-piece threat which Beckham provided, at both shooting directly and also creating numerous chances from dead ball situations for his team-mates. However, on the opening day of the season, with United playing Bolton, Giggs had his first free-kick chance from 25 yards out. It should be noted that Giggs was very much United's first choice taker until Beckham emerged; indeed, Giggs' first goal for Wales was a memorable free-kick itself, against Belgium in 1993. Giggs, out of Beckham's shadow, curled a wonderfully hit free-kick which went in off the post leaving the goalkeeper helpless. The United fans saw the irony and chanted 'David who?' to Giggs' obvious amusement. Giggs also got the second in a comfortable 4-0 win.

He managed to win the FA Cup once more in 2004, making him the only player in history (except Roy Keane) to have won the trophy four times. He has also finished with a runners-up medal twice.

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. During the first half of the 2004-05 season, Giggs was linked in a transfer speculation with Newcastle United F.C., a club his best-friend at United, Nicky Butt, had left for. However, no move was made before the transfer window closed on 31 January 2005. In that season, Giggs still managed to churn out a 'masterclass performance' (in the words of Sky Sports commentator Martin Tyler) when given the chance, and together with the old guard of Paul Scholes, looked to be the epitome of the football saying 'form is temporary, but class is permanent'.

After that season, Giggs signed a two-year contract extension with Manchester United when chairman David Gill relented on his normal policy of not signing players over 30 to contracts longer than one year. The extension, which runs through to July 2008, will most probably keep him at Old Trafford for the remainder of his playing career.

Giggs has reinvented himself and continues to contribute positively to the Manchester United cause even after team-mates like David Beckham and Roy Keane had left. He has become the role model to the latest batch of talents at the club like Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo. Giggs is used today as an example, alongside Gary Neville and Paul Scholes, as a model professional for young players with hot tempers, such as Wayne Rooney, to follow.

This is largely due to his upbringing by United manager Alex Ferguson, who has sheltered the player since developing him. It remains to be seen whether Giggs outstays his career mentor at the club or vice versa. His versatility has supplemented his raw skill and talent in recent years, and he has been called upon by his manager to play as a forward and a central midfielder for his team, roles in which he applied himself admirably. It is without question that Ryan Giggs will be ranked alongside the best wingers ever to play the game of football.

International career

As of 2006, Giggs has won 56 caps and scored 11 goals for the Welsh national football team. However, his international career has been nothing short of frustrating. As of 2006, he has not played a single match in either a European Championship or a World Cup, because Wales failed to qualify. Giggs has also received criticism in the media for his reluctance to participate in friendly international matches.

Giggs has never played a World Cup match for his national side, a fate shared with e.g. Alfredo Di Stefano, whose national side was Argentina, and George Best from perennial minnow Northern Ireland.

Personal life

Other than his notorious spate of womanizing as detailed in tabloids such as the Daily Mirror over the years, Giggs has otherwise managed to avoid the limelight of celebrity trappings that tagged his earlier years. In his autobiography, Giggs: The Autobiography, he revealed possible reasons for his aversion to attention, and accounted for his quiet and bashful demeanour.

The biography described Giggs' difficult upbringing. He endured racial taunts as a child because he was the product of a mixed marriage. Although he admired his rugby-playing father's sporting gifts (Giggs' attributes his speed and balance to his father's genes), he hated the impact his "bullying aggressive nature" had on his family.

In an infamous interview with the Daily Telegraph, Giggs described his father as a "real rogue". He adopted his mother's surname after his parents' separation so that "the world would know I was my mother's son".

Giggs is considered by many as a player who, unlike Lee Sharpe and George Best, achieved considerable fame despite a relatively low profile overall as a celebrity. He has done ads for Reebok, Sovil Titus, Citizen Watch Co., Ltd, Givenchy, Fuji and Patek Phillipe, and has been used for video-mapping in computer game simulations like EA Sports' FIFA 2003 series for which he also did a commercial.

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 Becks was being sent on loan to Preston."

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." Giggs is also an active campaigner in the fight against racism in football. Alongside fellow mixed-raced players like Rio Ferdinand and Thierry Henry, Giggs is adamant about stamping racism out of the game.

He told the Football Anti-Racism site 'Stop the BNP' the following in 2004: "A lot of people don't know that my father is black. He was a professional rugby player in the area that I played as a youngster. So a lot of people who I went to school with knew who he was and knew that he was black. So I would get racist taunts in school."

He also added in the French L'Equipe Sports Newspaper: "Looking at me from the outside, it is not very obvious, I know but half my family is black and I feel close to their culture and their colour. I am proud of my black roots and of the black blood that runs in my veins. I do not wish to hide my origins, nor do I seek to make it a subject of conversation. I am what I am."