Name: Ryan Giggs
Date of birth: 29/11/1973
Nationality: Great Britain ( UK )
City of Birth : Cardiff
Weight: 68kg / 10st 10lb
Height: 180cm / 5ft 11in
Position: Midfield
Ryan Giggs moved to England , from Wales , at the age of seven. He joined Dean's Youth FC where he learned how to play football. His coach at Dean's Youth was Denis Schofield, who referred him to Manchester City , where he played for their school of excellence until he was 14 years old.
On his 14th birthday Alex Ferguson went to Ryan's home in Swinton, Manchester , to ask him to sign schoolboy forms. Ken Barnes, City's chief scout, had already confirmed they would not be signing him. Their loss was Manchester United's gain, and the rest as they say is history!
At 16, Ryan signed amateur forms (YTS) and turned professional in November 1990, just after his 17th birthday.
It is a commonly held misconception that Giggs was eligible to play for England but chose Wales instead. He captained England Schoolboys, but was only able to play as he was attending school in England . He was not eligible to play for England at a higher level. Being born and raised in Wales until he was 7, with both parents and grandparents being Welsh, he was only eligible to play for Wales . There was no choice to make.
His League debut for Manchester United came on 2 March 1991, against Everton at Old Trafford, as a substitute for Denis Irwin. His first League start was in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford at the end of the same season, when he scored the only goal of the match.
Following an injury to Lee Sharpe at the start of the 1991/92 season, Giggs was able to gain a regular first team place, making the left-wing position his own.
Whilst at Manchester United, Giggs has won every domestic trophy, as follows: the League Cup in 1992, League Championships in 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000 and 2001 and three FA Cup winners medals in 1994, 1996 and 1999. Add to that the European Cup in 1999, and you've got quite a club career!
Internationally, Ryan became the youngest man to play for Wales , when he came on as a substitute against West Germany at the age of 17 years and 321 days.
Ryan has scored many memorable and important goals for Manchester United, including the remarkable solo effort in the last-ever FA Cup semi-final replay, against Arsenal at Villa Park in April 1999.
In the final minutes of extra-time, with the game heading for a penalty shoot-out, Giggs did what he does best and ran directly at the Arsenal defence. He burst past four players before unleashing a fierce shot into the roof of the net, giving David Seaman no chance. Many critics rated it as the greatest goal of all time, by anyone!
That 2-1 semi-final victory kept up the impetus for United's relentless march to the Treble, to which Giggs contributed immeasurably.
In the 1999/2000 season, Giggs treated United fans to the best form of his life. Stunning displays of running at defenders, great crossing and quality finishing led to the terrace song of "Giggs will tear you apart again" making a very welcome comeback.
Seven goals in 41 appearances barely tells the story of Ryan's contribution to yet another title-winning season. The Welsh wonder was instrumental in countless United goals as Fergie's men again swept aside all domestic competitors.
At the same time, Sir Alex revealed that the club's medical staff had found a solution to Ryan's recurring hamstring problems, by encouraging him to perform special stretching exercises before and after training.
Ryan was briefly linked with a move to Lazio at the outset of 2000/01, following comments made by their coach Sven Goran Eriksson. The future England boss reportedly said at the time, "I am interested in signing a wide player and we all know which club the best two wingers play for."
Any serious move by Eriksson would, of course, have been a non-starter. As if to prove the point, Ryan agreed to sign a new five-year contract with Manchester United, commencing 1 July 2001.
Ten days later, he scored the goal which effectively clinched his seventh Premiership title. His header gave United the lead against Coventry City at Old Trafford, prior to Arsenal's decisive home defeat by Middlesbrough .
Ryan Giggs celebrated his testimonial season during 2001/02, marking his ten years in the United first team. Included in the itinerary was a friendly match against Celtic played at Old Trafford on 1 August 2001. On Friday 23 August 2002 scored the one hundredth goal of his United career in a 2-2 draw with Chelsea away at Stamford Bridge .
That's exactly what he did against Juventus in the UEFA Champions League. A stunning solo goal in the Stadio Dell'Alpi silenced the critics and reminded the fans what he could do. Rumours of a move abroad persisted, but quietened down after Giggsy became the most decorated player in Reds history - winning his eighth League medal in 2002/03.