Almost all the adjectives have been used. Very few which remain. There isn’t anything more that you can say about Ryan Giggs that hasn’t been said before. He is Mr. Manchester United, and has been for the longest time. His loyalty and affection towards Manchester United over a period of 23 years which has seen the club achieve unparalleled success in the form of 13 League titles, 2 Champions League crowns among many others has all but confirmed his legacy as Manchester United’s most successful player, even though he might not be spoken in the same breath as a George Best or Bobby Charlton.
Truth be told, Giggs’ time at United has been ageless, intangible and simply the greatest story in football folklore. Ryan Giggs is a phenomenon that will never be repeated, a footballing miracle that will never be replicated. The most decorated player in the history of English football, Ryan Giggs will go down in history as Manchester United’s longest serving player with 963 appearances for the club. Let’s take a look at the Top 5 Greatest moments from Ryan Giggs’ Manchester United journey.
1. That goal!
Villa Park was the occasion for this amazing work of art. Watching Ryan Giggs pick off Patrick Vieira’s loose pass and accelerate past the finest defence in a generation of English footballers and slam home the shot that would go on to change Manchester United’s destiny was simply poetry in motion. The goal took United one step closer to their coveted treble and earned Sir Alex Ferguson’s side a place in the FA Cup final. The goal is stitched in the fabric of the English game and continues to be hailed as one of the most defining moments in English football history.
2. That strike against Juventus, 1997!
For all of Manchester United’s domestic successes in the mid 90s, United had some distance to go before they became genuine contenders for Europe’s biggest prize. When United first met Juventus in the Champions League, it was bit men against boys at times. Eric Cantona’s side failed to match up to their established European rivals. However, this game would change all that. Giggs showed a burst of pace to beat a couple of defenders and smashed the ball past Juventus keeper Angelo Peruzzi into the top corner to earn a late win against a Juventus team that was arguably the best in Europe at that time. United grew up as a European force with this game. Two years later, history was made at the Camp Nou. United had won the ultimate prize.