Ryan Giggs - Manchester United

22 years, 800 plus games, the most decorated player of all time in the English game, the only player to have scored in every League season and the only player to have scored in 14 consecutive Champions League seasons. Winner of 2 Champions Leagues, 11 premier leagues, PFA Player of the Year 2009 and the BBC Sports Personality of the year 2009. This is Ryan Giggs.

Sir Alex Ferguson, who famously recruited Giggs by going to his house on his 14th birthday said "He looked as relaxed and natural on the park as a dog chasing a piece of silver paper in the wind." on watching Ryan Giggs at his trial game in 1986.

Giggs speed and his ability to change direction while sprinting to go past an opposition player with ease, even today, marks him as a great player. According to Steve Bruce, his erstwhile team-mate "When Ryan ran, he ran like the wind. You couldn't hear him he was that light on his feet"

Many players have the one performance that defines them in immortality - and for Giggs it was THAT goal in the 1999 FA Cup semifinal replay against Arsenal when he intercepted a pass on the midfield and dribbled past a host of Arsenal players to score. Coming at a time when United were down to 10 men, it proved to be a key step in winning the treble.

Giggs has no red cards in his long club career. A mention in Simpsons, an OBE for services to football and his work for UNICEF and campaigning against Landmines, are some of his other achievements.

Giggs' longevity is also due to the level of discipline and his controlled lifestyle. He had to give up driving sports model cars because they were damaging for his hamstring. Even more creditable given that Giggs was the pinup boy of United when Beckham was still plying his trade on loan to Preston. He had an exuberent lifestyle and was very fond of racing cars.

George Best, is supposed to have said to Bobby Charlton "One day they might even say that I was another Ryan Giggs" and "Giggs will tear you apart again" was one of the most popular terrace chants based on the cult Joy Division song.

Giggs retired from international football in 2007 after making his 64th appearance for Wales in order to prolong his club career. One of the criticisms levelled against him is that he didn't turn up for enough friendlies in his Welsh career, or inspire Wales to a World Cup appearance.

A popular Ryan Giggs myth is that he chose to play for Wales over England - he couldn't have played for England contrary to popular belief. He was only in the English schools squad because of his studying in England. His father was a Rugby player who played in England. According to Wikipedia, Giggs' grandfather was from Sierra Leone.

Sir Alex sums up Ryan Gigg's contribution to Manchester United - 'Whatever the club has paid me in my time as manager was justified at a stroke by securing Ryan as a player for the club'.