Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs, at 37 years old already in his 20th year of service with the club, has signed a one year contract extension that will keep him at Old Trafford until the end of the 2012 season. The winger, the only player to have scored in every single Premier League season, is the most decorated player in the history of the club, having retreived an incredible haul of trophies - eleven Premier League titles, four FA Cups, four League Cups, and two Champions Leagues, along with a slew of individual awards.
Manchester United, Ryan Giggs, Agree To One Year Contract Extension
Although Giggs is finding his time more restricted as he approaches his 40th birthday, he’s still found time to make major contributions to Manchester United’s league campaign this season, scoring twice in seventeen appearances with four assists. According to the Welsh winger, who signed his first professional contract in November 1987 after impressing a slew of United scouts, he’s got plenty more to give to the club:
“It is great to know I’m contributing to the team’s success. I feel I’ve still got a lot to offer. All I’ve ever wanted to do is play for United and I’ve been lucky enough to do that for 20 years. This is an exciting time to be involved with so many good young players coming through.”
Giggs' best days are clearly behind him, and he's one of the few players who starred in Manchester United's late-90s dynasty still with the team (Paul Scholes soldiers on as well, while right-back Gary Neville announced his retirement earlier this year). His influence on the club's younger generation will be seen by Sir Alex Ferguson as vitally important as the mantle slowly passes from the likes of Giggs, Scholes, and Edwin van der Sar to Wayne Rooney, Nani, and the new wave of United talent.
It would surprise nobody if Giggs stepped immediately into a coaching role with the team when he retires, but it sounds as though we’ll have to wait another year to find out.
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