Inside United's icons countdown continues. In fourth place is Ryan Giggs; and Sir Bobby Charlton takes us from the first time he saw Giggsy in action to the day the Welshman equalled his appearance record...
What a player! I first saw Ryan when he was 15 when Alex Ferguson had asked me to come and watch some trials during the school holidays. When I arrived there were about 10 matches going on, and as I was making my way over to see the boss, I noticed this skinny kid zipping past defenders. He went right through the team and had a fantastic shot on goal. I thought: ‘Wow, that was sensational!’
When I reached Alex I asked him who the little lad was and he said: ‘That’s Ryan Wilson: he signed for us this morning.’ You could tell, even then, that there was something magical about the way he played the game.
Ever since that day Ryan’s been a fantastic ambassador for this club. We’ve never had an ounce of trouble from him. He’s brilliant to work with and you won’t hear anyone with a bad word about him. More importantly, he’s a fantastic footballer. In fact, he’s one of the most gifted footballers to ever play at Old Trafford.
In his prime, his pace was sensational – the only way defenders could stop him was to bring him down. These days he’s not quite so quick, but his awareness and footballing brain is second to none. He’s also good in the air, something not everyone realises.
He’s been terrific over the years – an absolute gem – and it’s no wonder United fans love him. The way he’s playing at the moment, we could easily see him for a few more years. The manager has been very smart in the way he’s used him this season, he knows exactly how and when to rest him. But when he’s on that pitch, he never lets you down.
Like most fans, my favourite Giggs memory is the goal he scored against Arsenal in the FA Cup in 1999. He went on this mazy run and people kept coming, but he kept evading them. Then, of course, he thumped the ball into the roof of the net. I jumped out of my seat, and I remember some fans went on the pitch. I don’t blame them: I’d have done the same if I’d have been in the stands! It was a cracking end to a wonderful football match.
As everyone knows, Ryan broke my club appearance record at the end of last season. To be honest, it didn’t bother me one bit. I never counted every game I played, I just know I played here for a long time and loved every minute. I think that’s why Ryan has played so many games here – he loves being at this club. It’s a great place to play… once you’ve been here you don’t want to play anywhere else.
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