Man Utd legend Ryan Giggs talks Liverpool
Ahead of Sunday's huge FA Cup third round match between Manchester United and Liverpool, Ryan Giggs spoke exclusively to Betfair at Carrington about the encounter and the importance of the FA Cup.
What does Manchester United versus Liverpool mean to you?
It means a lot. The rivalry has always been enormous. I grew up as a Manchester United fan, watching Liverpool win everything but we've been successful over the last twenty years so the roles have been reversed. We still respect the great traditions and the club that Liverpool are so it's a game you look forward to at the beginning of every season.
Of the many Manchester United versus Liverpool fixtures you've played in which do you remember most fondly?
Probably when we beat them in the FA Cup in 1999. We were losing 1-0 and Dwight Yorke equalised with a couple of minutes remaining. Then Ole (Gunnar Solskjaer) scored a very late goal and we won 2-1. There was a great atmosphere and it summed up that whole season, which was full of late drama and late goals.
Some people say that the FA Cup has been devalued in recent years. Do you agree?
No. Sunday's game will be fantastic, between the two most successful clubs in English football. Liverpool will bring eight or nine thousand fans and our supporters will be up for it too. There will be a great atmosphere. Both teams have won the FA Cup many times and will be wanting to do so again. The FA Cup is still a special competition. We want to get to Wembley and lift that trophy. As a player you can't wait for the cup to come along.
It's been seven years since Manchester United won the FA Cup. Will 2011 be your year?
I hope so. If you want to win the FA Cup, you've got to play well and you've got to have a bit of luck. You need decisions to go your way. You need all those things if you are going to win the FA Cup because one slip, one sending off, one own goal can mean you're out. But we will be aiming to win this year.
Halfway through the season, Manchester United are unbeaten in the league, unbeaten in the Champions League and have everything to play for in the FA Cup? Is it too early to talk about another treble-winning season?
I think so. If you look back at the treble-winning season of 1999, you see that, as with the FA Cup, you need everything to go in your favour. You need to play well, you need to stay injury free and you need luck. You also need other teams to drop points in the league. Winning the treble is such a tough thing to do. Of course we will be going out trying to win every game and every competition we enter but it is very tough to do.
Published: 7 Jan 2011
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