Ryan Giggs has won the Barclays Premier League trophy an amazing 12 times, but the ageless Manchester United winger is still hungry for more.
The Welsh Wizard, who is already the most decorated player in the club’s dignified history with 33 trophies to his name, has the opportunity to add yet another piece of silverware before this season even comes to a close.
United has a date with Barcelona in the 2011 UEFA Champions League Final at Wembley in less than two weeks, and it would take a foolish man to think that Giggs will not be playing a huge part trying to add a third European triumph to his name.
The 37-year old seems to always defy logic and has already signed a new contract to play next season, which if he does not play against Blackpool at the weekend, he will then surpass David James’ Premier League appearance record in his next appearance. He is already sitting on the perch alongside the former Liverpool goalkeeper, but Giggs is ready to knock him off it – just like he did securing United’s 19th top flight title.
Even before he has that chance of eclipsing yet another milestone, Giggs will be lining up against in another Manchester Derby at Wembley in August when the Reds kick off the season against City in the FA Community Shield. What a way to start the 2011/12 season, which could very well be his last, then against the team that he started his youth career with.
Since making his first-team debut on March 2, 1991, Giggs has gone on to collect 11 Premier League titles, the FA Cup and the Football League Cup four times each, the UEFA Champions League twice, the UEFA Super Cup, the Intercontinental Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup and the FA Community Shield eight times for a total of 32 team medals.
Now there is no doubt that has become Britain’s most decorated player, in terms of team medals won, but that has not stopped Giggs from wanting more and more success, which is half of the reason why he has already extended his United contract to play next season.
To further prove his addictive desire to win team honors, Giggs said in an interview that it “p****d him off” that Chelsea won the FA Cup and Premier League double last season, which underlines that hunger and passion that is making him into the greatest ever footballer.
That type of mentality is the kind that Sir Alex Ferguson hopes that he is able to inject into the minds and hearts of the younger players at United. The Gaffer showed his glowing appreciation for Giggsy by joining in singing the tune “He’s Won It 12 Times,” in the changing room during the celebrations of winning the title at Ewood Park.
To the astonishment of some, Giggs only wears the captain’s armband on occasion, but that does not mean that Sir Alex does not view him as an inspirational leader at the club anymore. However, like Rio Ferdinand and Paul Scholes, the multi-dimensional midfielder leads by example and does not need a piece of cloth to show that he is a leader on the field.
One thing that separates Giggs from so many other great players in the history of football is that he is not worried about individual accomplishments.
Amazingly, he has been only honored with the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year and the PFA Player of the Year once receiving in 1997/98 and 2008/09, respectively. That has not distracted Giggs one bit and maybe provides some of the motivation to inspires him to be even more successful with team achievements, which is an admirable trait to have.
Statistically, the Welshman is not the most dominant player, but he still has total 159 goals and 613 total appearances, which is good for _ and first, respectively on the club’s all-time list. So far, he has amassed 98 assists, which is 13 ahead of his closest competitor, Frank Lampard, and the left-footed winger is also ranked 17th on the all-time scoring list with 105 goals to his name.
To be perfectly honest, Ryan Giggs has nothing left to accomplish, but that has not – and will not – deter him from making Manchester United the most successful football club in the world.
Honors
Team
- – Premier League (12): 1992/93, 1993/94, 1995/96, 1996/97, 1998/99, 1999/2000, 2000/01, 2002/03, 2006/07, 2007/08, 2008/09, 2010/11
- – FA Cup (4): 1993/94, 1995/96, 1998/99, 2003/04
- – Football League Cup (4): 1991/92, 2005/06, 2008/09, 2009/10
- – FA Community Shield (8): 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010
- – UEFA Champions League (2): 1998/99, 2007/08
- – UEFA Super Cup (1): 1991
- – Intercontinental Cup (1): 1999
- – FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2008
Individual
- – Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year (2): 1990/91, 1991/92
- – Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year (1): 1997/98
- – PFA Young Player of the Year (2): 1991/92, 1992/93
- – PFA Player of the Year (1): 2008/09
- – PFA Team of the Year (6): 1992/93, 1997/98, 2000/01, 2001/02, 2006/07, 2008/09
- – PFA Team of the Century (1): 1997 – 2007
- – BBC Sports Personality of the Year (1): 2009
- – BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year (2): 1996, 2009
- – English Football Hall of Fame Inductee: 2005
Submitted by The United Religion
