Man Utd legend Ryan Giggs talks to Betfair
In the second part of our interview with Ryan Giggs, the Old Trafford icon discusses Manchester United's season, his team-mates, his amazing career so far, his ambitions and his appearance record.
It's been said that Manchester United haven't played their best football yet this season. But you're still top of the league and unbeaten. So have you been lucky so far?
I don't know if we've been particularly lucky. We've had decisions go for us but we've also had them go against us. We've scored late goals and dug out results when we haven't played well but that hasn't really been down to luck.
Have you been particularly impressed by any of your team-mates this season?
Yes. There are plenty of Manchester United players who have performed well. Dimitar has got off to a flying start, scoring lots of goals, including that hat-trick against Liverpool, while Nani is creating goals and scoring too. Javier Hernandez has made a great start to his Manchester United career, scoring goals, including some very important ones. The defence as a whole have played well.
You've been a fixture in the Manchester United first team for over half your lifetime. What does that feel like?
It feels tiring when you put it like that! I'm enjoying playing football more than ever. I was lucky enough to break into the first team when I was 17 and I've looked forward to each season more and more. As you get older, after you turn 30, you appreciate the game more, you appreciate what position you are in and you look upon every season as though it is your last. I would say that the last four or five years have been the most enjoyable.
Is there anything you haven't achieved in the game that you still hope to?
No. I've been lucky to win as much as I have. Each season you set out to win the league and it's such a tough league to win that anything on top of that is a huge bonus. In cup games anything can happen but at the start of the season the league is what you set out to win. We didn't win it last season and we want to win it back.
Do you think your record number of Manchester United appearances will ever be surpassed?
It could be. Obviously it would require a player to come in at a very early age and stay in the team for a long time. I've been at the club for twenty years and that's what it would take but it could happen. These days players don't remain at a single club for as long as they used to but any young player who joins Manchester United will want to stay at the club as long as they can. As a fan I definitely hope it does happen. When I broke Bobby Charlton's record he was right behind me and wanted to see me surpass his number of appearances. I would be thrilled to see someone like Wayne Rooney or any other young player break my record.
Published: 31 Jan 2011
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