Ryan Giggs

Ryan Joseph Giggs (né Wilson; born 29 November 1973 ) is a Welsh football coach, former player and co-owner of Salford City.

Regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, Giggs spent his entire professional career at Manchester United, where he also served as the club's interim player-manager and assistant manager.

He is one of the most decorated footballers of all time, and is one of only 44 players to have made over 1,000 career appearances.

The son of rugby union and Wales international rugby league footballer Danny Wilson, Giggs was born in Cardiff but moved to Manchester at the age of six when his father joined Swinton RLFC.

In 1980, when Giggs was six years old, his father switched from rugby union to rugby league, and signed for Swinton RLFC, forcing the whole family to move north to Swinton, a town in Salford, Greater Manchester.

The move was a traumatic one, as Giggs was very close to his grandparents in Cardiff, but he would often return there with his family at weekends or on school holidays.

After moving to Salford, Giggs appeared for the local team, Deans FC, who were coached by Manchester City scout Dennis Schofield.

Schofield recommended Giggs to Manchester City, and he was signed up to their School of Excellence.

Wood spoke personally to Alex Ferguson who sent a scout, and Giggs was eventually offered a trial over the 1986 Christmas period.

Giggs played in a match for Salford Boys against a United Under-15s side at The Cliff and scored a hat-trick, with Ferguson watching from his office window.

Predominantly a left midfielder, he began his career with Manchester City, but joined Manchester United on his 14th birthday in 1987.

Meanwhile, Giggs continued to play for Salford Boys, who went on to reach the final of the Granada Schools Cup competition at Anfield in 1987.

Giggs captained the Salford team to victory over their Blackburn counterparts, was man of the match, and the trophy was presented to him by Liverpool chief scout Ron Yeats.

Giggs also played rugby league at schoolboy level.

While playing for Deans, Giggs was observed regularly by local newsagent and Old Trafford steward Harold Wood.

On 29 November 1987 (his 14th birthday), Ferguson turned up at Giggs' house with United scout Joe Brown and offered him two years on associate schoolboy forms.

They offered to waive YTS forms and persuaded Giggs to sign by offering the opportunity to turn professional in three years.

He made his professional debut for the club in 1991 and spent the next 23 years in the first team.

At international level, Giggs played for the Wales national team 64 times between 1991 and 2007, and captained the Great Britain team that competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Giggs was the first player in history to win two consecutive PFA Young Player of the Year awards (1992 and 1993), though he did not win the PFA Player of the Year award until 2009.

He was the only player to play in each of the first 22 seasons of the Premier League, as well as the only player to score in each of the first 21 seasons.

He was elected into the PFA Team of the Century in 2007, the Premier League Team of the Decade in 2003, and the FA Cup Team of the Century.

He holds the record for the most assists in Premier League history, with 162, and the most assists in UEFA Champions League history with 41.

He was named as BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2009, and was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2007 Birthday Honours for his services to football.

Giggs was born at St David's Hospital in Canton, Cardiff, to Danny Wilson, a rugby union player for Cardiff RFC, and Lynne Giggs (now Lynne Johnson).

Giggs is mixed race – his paternal grandfather is a Sierra Leone Creole – and has spoken of the racism he faced as a child.

As a child, Giggs grew up in Ely, a suburb of western Cardiff.

His younger brother, Rhodri, is a former manager of EFL League Two club Salford City.

He spent much time with his mother's parents and playing football and rugby league on the roads outside their house in Pentrebane.

He retired from playing with the end of the 2013–14 season, holding the club record for competitive appearances – 963.

Towards the end of the 2013–14 season, he became the club's interim player-manager following the sacking of David Moyes.

He was assistant manager under Moyes' permanent replacement, Louis van Gaal.

Giggs left United in July 2016, following the appointment of José Mourinho.

During his time at United he won 13 Premier League winner's medals – more than any other player in history, four FA Cup winner's medals, three League Cup winner's medals, two UEFA Champions League winner's medals, a FIFA Club World Cup winners medal, an Intercontinental Cup winner's medal, a UEFA Super Cup winner's medal and nine FA Community Shield winner's medals.

Manchester United and Liverpool are the only clubs in English football history to have won more league championships than Giggs.

He became the new manager of the Wales national team in January 2018.

Giggs led Wales to qualification for UEFA Euro 2020.

He did not manage the team at the tournament however, which was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as he was arrested on suspicion of assault.

His assistant manager Rob Page took charge in his absence.

Giggs resigned in June 2022, and Page was named as his successor.