Giggs Earns New Deal
Red Dread
It appears that Ryan Giggs will be running down the wing for a while longer yet.
The veteran one club warrior has signed a new one year contract extension that should see him remain at the club until 2009 at least and edge past Sir Bobby Charlton’s record number of appearances in a red shirt.
“We said a couple of years ago that we would look at it season-by-season, which is what we have done,” Giggs said. “I am delighted to get it sorted out. I feel as fit as ever so I hope there will be a couple more.
“I am enjoying my football more than ever. The nearer you get to the end of your career you want to enjoy it as much as you can.”
Giggs has scored 141 goals in 727 United appearances and is within 32 games of Sir Bobby’s record tally. Even though all records are there to be broken, Sir Bobby has had to wait more than 33 years for the emergence of a player good enough, strong enough and committed enough to put his United games milestone under challenge.
Whatever some fans may say about Giggs now, he’s won everything, his record of achievement is incredible and he still has much to offer the team as an impact player. He’s slower and can’t ghost past the last defender like in the old days but his brain is still sharp. The lovely outside of the foot cross which allowed Carlos Tevez to open his account against Chelsea last month, is the very best proof.
Every United fan will have a favourite Giggs moment. Mine is the thunderous free kick goal against Blackburn on the night 26 years of hurt disappeared. Like 99% of fans, there is also that goal against Arsenal in the Cup semi final in 1999.
I remember the match as though it was played last night. Giggs scored the goal of his life. United were on their way to Wembley and the Treble was less and less an impossible dream. When Giggs next received the ball however, Gunner fullback and City fan Lee Dickson hacked at him like he was felling a tree. Dickson made no attempt at a tackle. All he wanted to do was bring down the scorer of the game’s and the competition’s most memorable goal.
It was a dreadful foul and could have put Giggs out for a long time if Dickson’s timing had been perfect. But Giggs was lucky. He did not retaliate and United finished the game triumphant.
In that one moment, for me, Giggs was defined. He is genius and a gentleman.
