Tuesday 14 February 2012

The Lad who grew up.

  When Denis Irwin came off after 35 minutes against Everton, Manchester fans got their first glimpse of their new starlet, sneaked cleverly by Sir Alex away from arch rivals Manchester City. Then they had only one thing on their mind, the extent of Irwin's injury. However the 17 year-old who was substituted the Manchester United legend now has a legendary career of his own to look back on and is arguably his grown to be better than the man he replaced on that March evening, 1991. Now 38 years, 899 games and 162 goals later Ryan Giggs still terrorises European defenses with form and class which has not faded over his 21 year career. He is a anomaly of medical science and is the oldest outfield player playing in the Premier league.

    Over this large career, the Welshman is the only player to have scored in every Premier league season since the inaugural edition in 1992. He continues to baffle crowds and the club's personnel as he approaches his 900th game, a milestone unequaled in the clubs history, with the closest to him is the  England and United legend Sir Bobby Charlton. The Englishman made 758 appearances in a Red's shirt and. He was part of the team than Matt Busby created and survived the trauma of the most devastating moment in the club's history, The Munich Aircrash, at the tender age of 20 and returned from it to be better than he was.

  Giggs too has had his down points in his career and was even tipped to retire at the end of the last season with Edwin Van der Sar and Paul Scholes calling it a day, though the latter returned to the United team sheet in January. The veteran told the press that a hamstring injury coupled with his advancing years meant he considered calling it a day last term, but admitted the lure of pulling on the red shirt maintained his desire to continue. "When to retire is difficult. Do you quit too early or go that one too many games and let people see you on the slide? It’s hard for me, even with my experience, not to play or be involved and last season was difficult before Christmas," the Welshman told The Telegraph during an exclusive interview.
"I didn’t play many games, I had a hamstring injury and had a chat with the gaffer, saying I was frustrated, but he said I would get my games. I was thinking maybe it could be my last season, but towards the end, I didn’t want the season to stop."


  Not a bad decision. He has been instrumental in picking up points for the Reds this season and his almost flawless ball distribution continues to baffle already awe stricken admirers and defensive units. If Giggs had been an artillery gun, the army that possessed him would have won the World War. His timed   run against Arsenal a few weeks to supply Valencia and create United's opening goal showed why he is a precious asset to United and their title charge this season.


   The Welshman has won every trophy that lay in front of him in a Red shirt, the Europa league being the only exception and he looks to win it this season after a premature exit from the Champions League."There is definitely a sense that it would be great to win because it is something I have never won. It was disappointing to go out of the Champions League, you never want to go out, but we’re out of it and there is nothing we can do about it, so let’s go and win the Europa League now." he told manutd.com.


  Ryan Giggs signed a contract extension last Friday that ensured he would keep playing till the end of the next campaign. The most senior member on the team sheet he could see himself smash the milestone of 1000 senior games, seeing that he already has 64 caps for Wales.

  "Manchester United believe we may be seeing the start of a very special career this afternoon," announced Clive Tyldesley, commentating for ITV back in March '91. 
'Special' it seems, is an insult to the legacy that the Welshman leaves the club, when he leaves that is, by the time of which this blogger would be an owner of a walking stick, dentures and the thickest spectacles you have ever scene.


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