The Wizard      

Full name:   Ryan Joseph Giggs
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Forward 1990 - ?

5ft 11"   9st 9 lbs   born Cardiff,  29th Nov 1973
League debut as a sub against Everton at home in March ‘91
Full debut v Man City (h)   4/5/91 ..
Scored the only goal of the match!

Career:

Salford Schoolboys England Schoolboys

UNITED assoc.s`boy Feb 1988   trainee July 1990  -  Pro Nov 90
          

Appearances:      90 - 2000 (last upd. Jan 2000)

Played Total:      342 games    78 goals   Goal ratio 0,23

Premier League  249 games  55 goals

FA Cup                34  games    7 goals

F.League Cup      17  games   6 goals

Europe                 37 games     10 goals

The most rare and exciting talent to emerge at OT since George Best, Ryan Giggs made a sensational debut in League football when he scored the only

goal of the May 91 Manchester derby at OT, bringing to mind a similar scoring start by another young debutant, Sammy Mcllroy , almost 20 years

earlier. At the end of his first full season Giggs was voted the Young Player of the Year by the PFA. Evidence of the continued blossoming of his his

precocious and exceptional talents was confirmed when he was awarded the same trophy in 1993! In the 1991-2 League Cup competition his extra-time

winner against Middlesborough in the 2nd leg of the semi-final took UNITED to Wembley and victory against Nottingham Forest. One month

later, United`s youthfull prodigy was on the winning side in the FA Youth Cup Final, second leg, against Crystal Palace, a game won by
3-2 at OT and 6-3 on aggregate.             

Capped by Wales at U21 level, he subsequently became the youngest player to win a Welsh cap when he came on as a late substitute against Germany at

Nurenberg. Having made a quite stunning breakthrough on all fronts in 1991-2, Giggs continued to enhance his reputation with manager Alex

Ferguson wisely providing careful protection from over-exposure. After an outstanding first full season in the Premier League which brought a

Championship medal and a host of acolades, he maintained his own high standards in the 1993-4 double winning campaign. Premiership full-backs

have yet to work out how best to contain the mercurial Welshman whose significant addition to the RED`s glorious year included 17 goals from the

wing. His thrilling, twisted runs, deadly accurate crosses and memorable opportunist goals of the very highest quality, variety and individual skill

merely confirmed Giggs` growing stat status and development into a player with world-wide appeal who is gifted with sheer genius.

At only 20 years old, Ryan Giggs already had a fistful of medals. The football world is at his feet. There would appear to be few limits to what he might achieve in the game.

UPDATE:   Man United   7th Mar 1997

                           

After 4-0 win over Porto in Champions League Quarter final:

Alex Ferguson believes Ryan Giggs will be a world-beater within the next two years.

The 23-year-old Welshman was the unchallenged star of Wednesday's 4-0 destruction of Porto in the Champions League, scoring his fifth goal of the season.

The Portuguese simply could not subdue a player who assumed responsibility for organising midfield in the absence of Roy Keane.

No longer does Giggs simply run players into the ground with his weaving skills, now he ties them up with devastating passes, beginning to match David Beckham's creativity.

The rise of the England 21-year-old seems to have sparked Giggs and the Manchester United manager insists we have not even begun to see his best.

``Playing in midfield in a lot of ways does suit Ryan,'' said Ferguson. ``He showed a maturity and passing awareness that emphasises why I said he would be a truly wonderful player in two years' time.

``That passing part of his game that I said he would have to develop is now progressing well.

``But he's also got those things that you can't put into people like electricity and balance, and Porto just couldn't handle that.''

Giggs, who has recovered from all the injury which plagued him last year, said: ``I was obviously delighted with my own contribution but the most important thing was the result.

``We expected a very hard game but we are absolutely delighted with the result. Every single player played well and contributed something to the performance.

``Obviously the manager was delighted, but he told us afterwards that it would be difficult over there.

``It will be very difficult in Portugal, but we have got to go over there and make sure we produce the same kind of performance as tonight.''

Honours 93-99

1991 European Super Cup - Winner
1992 League Cup - Winner
1992 Football League Div. 1 - Runner-up
1992 F.A. Youth Cup - Winner

1992 PFA Young Player of the Year
1993 F.A. Premier League - Winner
1993 F.A. Charity Shield - Winner
1993 PFA Young Player of the Year
1994 League Cup - Runner-up
1994 F.A. Premier League - Winner
1994 F.A. Cup - Winner
1994 F.A. Charity Shield - Winner
1995 F.A. Premier League - Runner-up
1995 F.A. Cup - Runner-up
1996 F.A. Premier League - Winner
1996 F.A. Cup - Winner
1996 F.A. Charity Shield - Winner
1997 F.A. Premier League - Winner
1997 F.A. Charity Shield - Winner
1999 F.A. Premier League - Winner
1999 F.A. Cup - Winner
1999 European Champions Cup - Winner
2000 ......???

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