Sir Ryan, I Salute Thee

By Azeem Banatwalla, follow him on Twitter

He goes by many names. Some call him the Welsh Wizard. The cool kids into “txt spk” and all that new-age jazz call him RG11. Some of us cricket fans in India call him the Sachin Tendulkar of football. To the rest, he goes by the name of Ryan Giggs. Someday, hopefully, we’ll see a three letter mark of knighthood precede that name.

What a player, what a personality, and what an absolute legend.

We hear this over and over again, every other week. From football pundits, players, managers and fans alike. That Ryan Giggs is a player that every kid who plays the game should look up to and say, “That’s what I want to be.”

This is not a biography of a living legend. I don’t even think it’s a tribute. For today, I’m no journalist, I’m no writer. I’m just a 22-year-old football fan, gushing about the most wonderful player he’s ever seen.

Part of this is born out of an emotional last week, which saw United effectively end a misfiring Chelsea team’s season over two legs, in which Giggsy combined the vision and experience of his 37 years, with the agility, guile and desire he’s possessed for the last 20, to carve open a more than respectable Chelsea defense three times, over the course of seven days.

A tweet from Chris Toy of Studs Up last night summed it up for me - “Giggs making a mockery of the idea of position specialists… and aging. Playing a holding role and doing fine.”

I run out of superlatives for the man. Cut to that historic last-ever FA Cup semi-final replay at Villa Park. To half a second after Patrick Vieira’s woefully misplaced pass. The 7 seconds after, epitomize what Ryan Giggs was in the 90s. Pace, trickery, desire, and a massive heart under a hairy chest. They also contain the greatest FA Cup goal of all time.

Fast forward to Highbury, February 1st, 2005. After the epic tunnel fracas involving the colossi that were Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira (again), it’s another monumental personality wearing the number 11 jersey, who steps up with a goal and two fabulous assists to guide United to a 4-2 victory. At 31, they say he’s approaching the twilight of his career. How could a winger expect to play into his 30s?

In keeping with the flashback documentary nature of this article, we head to the midst of the 2006-2007 season. With Scholes suffering from blurred vision and Michael Carrick injured, Ryan Giggs teams up with John O’Shea in the middle of the park, to change from winger to holding midfielder and playmaker. The result? United did not drop a single point in the 6 games they played together.

Now, to Upton Park, 2008-2009. 0-0, with United struggling, some 15 minutes into the second half. The ball out to the left from Scholes to Giggs may well have opened a time-warp. The 35-year old controls, shapes to cross and cuts inside, not once, but twice, with the dancing feet of Cristiano Ronaldo on the opposite flank, to slot into the bottom corner with his right foot. It elicits a “F****** Hell” from the gaffer on the sidelines.

Our journey ends with this past week. Magnificent control, quick feet, and great vision, to take Ivanovic out of the game, and set up Rooney for the away goal. 6 days later, Two wonderful bits of movement and passing, to set up goals at crucial times, when it seemed like the tie might be going Chelsea’s way; and legs all through the game to rival Ji-Sung Park.

But when does Giggsy’s journey end? I have no qualms to admit that I will be holding back tears behind my standing ovation when the Welsh Wizard finally hangs up his boots. He is a living legend, a one-team man, who is a shining example of professionalism, loyalty, footballing skill, and humbleness. He is British football’s most decorated player. Ryan Giggs is not simply a dying breed. He is a breed that will die the day he retires. You will never see another player like him for as long as you live. To quote that banner that’s at Old Trafford every weekend - “Ryan Giggs - Tearing you Apart since 1991”. Absolute legend.