Top 5 Greatest Moments Of Ryan Giggs’ Manchester United Career

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.

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3. That tumultuous night in Moscow, 2008!

Sir Alex Ferguson had revealed that Paul Scholes would be “the first name on the team-sheet” after missing the 1999 Champions League final through suspension. But it was to be Ryan Giggs who would go on to play a defining role after coming on for Scholes towards the end of normal time. On a night Giggs broke Sir Bobby Charlton’s appearance record for Manchester United, Giggs calmly slotted home the crucial penalty before Edwin van der Sar produced a save from Nicolas Anelka’s strike to secure the club’s third European crown. And Giggs’s second. The strike was a testament to his mental strength, a major ingredient of his continued success and longevity, as he calmly sent Petr Cech the wrong way on a slick surface made worse by the unrelenting rain.

4. United’s man for all occasions, and all POSITIONS!

Sir Alex Ferguson took off Patrice Evra at the start of the second half, and switched Ryan Giggs to left back. This, with United chasing the game after being 2-0 down at half time. United were under the cosh and seemed to be heading to an embarrassing defeat, when Ryan Giggs produced a scintillating display in his unfamiliar role to inspire yet another United comeback, when they seemed dead for good! He was by far the best player on the pitch and helped United overturn the 2-0 deficit into a 4-2 victory. And towards his latter years, Giggs went on to play in a number of positions for United including the heart of midfield and never looked out of place. A credit to his footballing intelligence.

5. Switching sides on the touchline – Donning the manager’s hat!

Ryan Giggs may have only taken over the duties as Manchester United manager on a temporary basis last season, but his inherent footballing philosophy is influenced massively by his former manager Sir Alex Ferguson. And even though United succumbed to a defeat at home defeat against Sunderland, there was much to praise and admire about Giggs’ faith and trust in United’s youngsters James Wilson and Tom Lawrence, who were both handed debuts against Hull. There was only one way to steady the ship he figured. The United way. Two Wilson goals restored the smiles at Old Trafford after what had been a turbulent season to say the least, and a Ryan Giggs speech built hope for the future. He had restored faith in the soul of the club, without diverting attention to what was eventually his final 20 minutes in a United shirt. What a player! What a great ambassador for the sport!