Manchester United's Ryan Giggs celebrates after scoring a late equaliser against Celtic during their Champions League Group E soccer match at Celtic Park Stadium, Glasgow, Scotland, Wednesday Nov. 5, 2008. AP Photo/Jon Super
He is a freak. He made his debut in March 1991 and is still going strong. While his team-mates have come and gone through the revolving door which is professional sports, he is the one constant.
And while guys his age are being pensioned off, not only has he maintained his form, but somehow he has managed to get better over time.
Ryan Giggs will make his 800th appearance for Manchester United in the Champions League tie against Arsenal this week.
That is a staggering amount.
But not as staggering as the amount of silverware he has amassed – ten Premier League titles, two Champions League trophies, four FA Cups and two League Cups.
He reminds me of Robert Harvey, but if Harvey had played in a much more successful team. That is no disrespect to Harvey, who is one of the greatest Australian athletes of all-time.
But Harvey was continually striving for the premiership which never came, whereas Giggs has won more times than he could remember.
In this day and age, you would have said that it would be impossible for someone like Giggs to exist. For someone to play at one club, and a club like Manchester United at that, for all this time.
But that is testament to his talent.
He isn’t being picked for sentimental reason, and as we have seen with David Beckham, Roy Keane and Paul Ince. Sir Alex Ferguson clearly does not allow sentimentality to interfere with his decision-making process.
For all of his glittering career, his international resume isn’t as shiny.
Like other illustrious Manchester United greats, such as Mark Hughes, Eric Cantona and George Best, Giggs never played at a World Cup. I don’t think Giggs cares too much about this.
It’s our loss, though, because it would have been fantastic to see him strut his stuff on the world’s highest stage.
Will there be anyone capable of repeating Giggs’ efforts?
Maybe.
Perhaps someone like Theo Walcott, who although he didn’t start his career at Arsenal, joined them at a sufficiently young age. He would then have to stay there until about 2024.
That puts Giggs’ achievements into some perspective.
When he finally does hang up the boots, it will be the end of an era. If Manchester United don’t retire his number 11, then it will be hard to see someone else running around with it.
Not as hard, though, on the guy wearing it.
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