Written by Football Talk.
Manchester United veteran Ryan Giggs gave an insightful interview to CNN where he discusses everything from his hatred for Liverpool to winning the treble in 1999.
Ryan Giggs: I’ve been so lucky to be part of United’s most successful time. We had it rammed down our throats and Liverpool were just winning everything and I grew up as a United fan hating that.
Alex Thomas: Can you take us back to 1990, what was it like then?
Ryan Giggs: Day-to-day, it was completely different, obviously we didn’t have Carrington, we didn’t have the facilities that we have, we were at the old training ground, the Cliff, which had unbelievable history, the Busby Babes trained there, Best, Charlton, Law, you could feel the history within the building but obviously time moves on. Back then, you know 17, 18 I would get to training, we would start at half ten on the pitch, I would be there at maybe ten past, quarter past, so you’d maybe spend a little bit of time in the gym, and then you’d be home for like half 12, 1 o’clock. Now it’s completely different you know, we have massages, we have pools, we have all the facilities you could think of…
Alex Thomas: is it easier being a player now than back then?
Ryan Giggs: These days, is it harder? Probably, because of the scrutiny you’re under, one good game and you’re a world beater, and obviously then they bring the money in to it, so you have a couple of bad games, you know, should he be earning this money? It does boil down to the character of the individual, but you do need help. I had good people around me, I had the manager, I had Brian Kidd, I had Eric Harrison, all these coaches when I was a young player, I had Bryan Robson, Steve Bruce when I got in to the first team. I’ve had people to keep my feet on the ground and you do need that help you know, at 17, 18 scoring goals for the first team, you’re playing well, everyone’s patting you on the back…it is very easy to get carried away.
Alex Thomas: When you look back at the career, the photos and the memories and stuff, who are your biggest friends in football?
Ryan Giggs: Scholesy, Nev…Nicky Butt, Paul Ince I was great friends with because he helped me in the transition of coming from youth team to first team, he helped me in that respect and we just clicked.
Alex Thomas: What more do you want to win before you call it quits?
Ryan Giggs: You want to win everything, you want to win every game that you enter, every trophy that you compete in, you want to win. You can’t always do it but you’ve just got to try your best to win.
Alex Thomas: If I said you’re only allowed one more?
Ryan Giggs: If I’m only allowed one more? (laughs) I would say Champions League, but it changes, tomorrow, I could say the League. The League and Champions League are obviously massive.
Alex Thomas: Is it possible to win the treble again?
Ryan Giggs: It’s possible but it’s difficult.
Alex Thomas: Harder than in ’99?
Ryan Giggs: I don’t know, I don’t know if it’s harder. I think it was hard then, you just need everything to go for you…You grow up watching the World Cup, European Championships and you want to be part of that, but it just wasn’t to be, but I enjoyed it, I enjoyed playing for my country, I enjoyed playing in Cardiff, I enjoyed going away and training with different players, because I’d never experienced that before obviously playing at one club, but yeah it was a major disappointment.
Alex Thomas: You’ve got such a vital role here, are we going to have to wait to hear if you’ll have any involvement with the Wales set-up?
Ryan Giggs: Yeah, I would love to be part of a team that took Wales to a major Championship, and whatever role it may be, I don’t know, but for the moment I’m just concentrating on playing my football and that’s all I can see at the moment, but in the future hopefully, yeah…I’ve been in football since I left school and I’ve enjoyed it so much and it’s given me so much pleasure that I want to carry on and be involved, I don’t know how and I don’t know in what sort of capacity but I’ll definitely be involved.
You can watch the video of the interview below.
