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LONDON. — Manchester United midfielder Ryan Giggs has no plans to retire despite turning 40 yesterday. The Welshman has spent his whole career at Old Trafford, making 953 club appearances since making his debut against Everton in 1991.“I’m lucky that I have been at one club, where I am surrounded by good players and a good manager,” he said.
“It can be hard sometimes but I am still enjoying it. As long as that is the case I will carry on.”
He added: “I still want to do well in every game, want to win trophies and my focus needs to be on that.”
Giggs, who has won as many league titles as Arsenal (13), is out of contract at the end of the season and although he has also taken on coaching duties he wants to continue to play for as long as possible.
Should Giggs be offered, and sign, a new one-year contract it would take his stay at United to 24 years and could see him reach the landmark of 1 000 appearances for the Red Devils.
“If I’d moved from club to club I’d be finished by now,” he added, as is the case with fellow ‘Class of 92’ members David Beckham, Phil Neville and Nicky Butt.
He has also outlasted Gary Neville and Paul Scholes who both retired after spending their entire careers at Old Trafford.
“I look after myself and try to train every day in order to make myself available for selection,” added Giggs.
“I enjoy it as much as I can and, of course, try to contribute to the team.”
That contribution has helped United to win 13 Premier League titles, four FA Cups, four League Cups, two Champions League trophies, one Uefa Super Cup, one Intercontinental Cup and one Fifa Club World Cup, as well as nine Community Shields.
“I don’t know what the younger lads think of me,” added Giggs.
“When I was 17 and 18 I thought 31 was ancient. Here I am at 40.”
Meanwhile, former team-mates of Manchester United great Giggs hailed his longevity as he celebrated his 40th birthday yesterday while still an active Premier League footballer.
Giggs’s landmark anniversary came just two days after his key role in United’s Champions League thrashing of Bayer Leverkusen and was the latest chapter in an extraordinary one-club career that saw him make his first-team debut as a 17-year-old in 1991.
“What Ryan is doing now is absolutely incredible,” former United and England full-back Gary Neville told Talksport Radio.
“If you didn’t know he was Ryan Giggs, you didn’t know his age and you just watched the game (against Leverkusen), you could argue he was 25,” he added as he reflected on the Welshman’s contribution to a 5-0 win over the German club.
“It was staggering to watch. I felt he was the best player on the pitch.
“He was the difference for United from what was a difficult game for them against Cardiff on Sunday to what was a really refreshing performance (against Leverkusen), where they passed the ball forwards through midfield.
“You think of those types of things in the 1950s and 60s when you hear of players like Stanley Matthews playing into their 40 and 50s, but you would never think it would happen in the modern game. You think maybe a defender or goalkeeper could play on, but a winger, who has played from the age of 16, 17 to the age of 40 and has adapted his game and is still looking like he can beat a player, it is brilliant.” — BBC Sport.
Online Reporter