Ryan Giggs

Introduction
Without a doubt Manchester United's record appearance holder Ryan Giggs is the most decorated player in the club's great history, winning a staggering 20 major trophies in his seventeen year career. In fact it seems the only thing the Welshman hasn't won is the Grand National.

As well as appearing for Manchester United more times than any other player, Giggsy has set up more goals than any other footballer in the history of the Premier League with an amazing 289 assists in his 535 games.

A fantastic moment for the Cardiff born winger came in the 87th minute of the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final when he replaced Paul Scholes. That substitute appearance meant that Ryan Giggs had broken Bobby Charlton's 35 year old Manchester United appearance record and the cherry on top came when the player slotted home the team's seventh penalty which would turn out to be the winning goal.

Ryan Giggs career started Manchester United on his 14th birthday when Sir Alex Ferguson went around to the Giggs/Wilson family home in Swinton, Greater Manchester to persuade the young starlet to sign YTS forms with the club and turn down rivals Manchester City. Fergie was successful and the rest they say is history.

Ryan Giggs turned professional exactly three years later on his 17th birthday and made his debut three months later on 2 March 1991 in the 2-0 home league defeat at the hands of Everton, when he replaced full back a href = http://www.manchester-united-fans-site.com/denis-irwin>Denis Irwin.

On 14 May 1991 Giggsy marked his full debut for the club by scoring the only goal of the match in the Manchester derby against City, a goal which was his first for the club; talk about making an instant impact!

In the 1991-92 season Giggsy began tp play more and more games as his burgeoning talent could be held back no longer. He was rewarded for his superb form by a place in Manchester United's starting line-up for the League Cup final against Nottingham Forest, where he repaid the faith shown in him by Sir Alex Ferguson by setting up the only goal of the game for Brian McClair.

The following season Ryan Giggs was immense, he now started to establish himself as one of the greatest young talents in world football, if not the greatest. It was the emergence of Giggsy coupled with the arrival of the enigmatic Frenchman Eric Cantona which spurred The Red Devils onto their first English Title success since the glory days of the Busby Babes 26 years earlier.

The two successes in his first few seasons playing for Manchester United were definately not going to be his last. After all these years "The Welsh Wizard" has won ten league titles, four F.A. Cups, Two League Cups and Two UEFA Champions League trophies and heading into his twilight years is till going strong.

Ryan Giggs Honours

Manchester United
FA Premier League: 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009
UEFA Champions League: 1999, 2008
Intercontinental Cup: 1999
FA Cup: 1994, 1996, 1999, 2004
League Cup: 1992, 2006, 2009
UEFA Super Cup: 1991
FIFA Club World Cup: 2008

Ryan Giggs Personal Honours

PFA Player of the Year: 2009FA Premier League Player of the Month: Sep 1993, Aug 2006, Feb 2007
Manchester United Players Player of the Year Award: 2006
Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year Award: 1998
U-21 European Footballer of the Year: 1993
Wales Player of the Year Award: 1996, 2006
BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year: 1996
Inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame: 2005
Inducted into the Premiership Team of the Decade: 2003
Inducted into the PFA Team Of The Century: 2007
Record holder for number of English League title medals
PFA Team of the Year: 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2001, 2007, 2009
OBE for services to football