Manchester United's Ryan Giggs Reaches 900 Games: How Long Will He Be Around?

Manchester United's Thursday night Europa league clash with Ajax could provide Ryan Giggs with a massive milestone in his career. If Giggs starts or is brought on during the game, then it will mark his 900th appearance for the Red Devils.

Of course, he has already claimed the record of most Manchester United appearances. When Giggs came on as a substitute for United in the 2008 Champions League final against Chelsea, he surpassed Bobby Charlton's record of 758 games for the club.

Now sitting pretty at 899 appearances, Giggs has no intention of slowing down.

Little did Sir Alex know that when he signed a 13-year-old Ryan Giggs, that he would become one of the best players to ever play for the illustrious club. A story probably better in his own words, Giggs said the following to manutd.com:

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I've been at United since I was 13 and I'm very fond of the club and the fans, they have been an integral part of my life. United offered me a week's trial in December 1986. At the end of it I played for Salford Boys against United's youth team. We won 4-3 and I scored a hat-trick. Alex Ferguson stormed up to me afterwards and said, 'You're not joining us now, lad!' I was so frightened of him that I didn't realise he was joking.

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Giggs announced himself to the United supporters during his first start for the Red Devils on May 4, 1991. Giggs scored the crucial and only goal in the Manchester derby which saw United beat City 1-0 at Old Trafford—what a way to start your career, eh?

The years that followed would see him break into the first team at the tender age of 17 and overtake Lee Sharpe as United's first-choice left winger.

He was always regarded as a massive talent, even from a young age, attracting a fanbase which included the likes of Bobby Charlton and George Best, who would often visit United's training ground to watch the youngster play.

Over his 20-or-so years at the club, Giggs has become the most decorated player in English football, amassing 33 medals with United (including 12 EPL winner's medals, four FA Cup winner's medals and two from the UCL).

On top of this, he has been named in the EPL Team of the Year on six occasions, been awarded an OBE for services to football and accumulated a further 23 individual awards.

Giggs is a well-respected player in the footballing world. Many players and legends have heaped praise upon him throughout his career. In 1996, Italian legend Alesandro Del Piero said the following:

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This is embarrassing to say but I have cried twice in my life watching a football player; the first one was Roberto Baggio and the second was Ryan Giggs.

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His lifetime manager and mentor, Sir Alex Ferguson, is a little more poetic, saying, "I remember the first time I saw him. He was 13 and he floated across the ground like a cocker spaniel chasing a piece of silver paper in the wind".

An interesting analogy maybe, but Giggs' play has always been somewhat majestic.

Manchester United coach Eric Harrison once described a young Ryan Giggs as a "ballet dancer" in the way that he played. His dribbling skills have been the bane of defenders' existences for the entirety of his career and have never explicitly declined.

As a man approaching 40, you would think defenders would relish the prospect of facing an "ageing" star, however, Giggs still strikes the same fear into right-backs as he did 15 years ago.

Now 38 years old, fans are wondering when the Welsh Wizard is going to start winding down his career, however, his performances this season have been those of a man 10 years younger.

Courtesy of United's so-called injury crisis this season, Giggs has been given a deeper midfield role on a couple of occasions, and has proved that Fergie can rely on him to fill that gap as well as his natural position at left midfield.

Giggs has made 18 appearances in total this season, including two goals and a further eight assists. Despite his advancing years, he has not become just a cameo performer. Giggs is still an integral part of the United midfield.

What has kept Giggs relevant to the United side over the past 20 years is his versatility. Some have referred to him as a "chameleon" of a player who can blend in with any squad which he is put in. After Giggs recently put pen to paper on a one-year extension to his contract, manager Alex Ferguson said:

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Ryan is a marvellous player. In many ways, he epitomises all my teams here at United; he has constantly re-invented himself, adapted to the changing nature of the game and retained that desire and hunger for success.

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Will Giggs play into his 40s? His hunger would suggest yes, although he has admitted he feels most comfortable in playing once every 10 days or so rather than on a weekly basis.

He is still a superb talent despite his age and offers depth to the United midfield, and with the wealth of young talent at the club, he is a fantastic role model to look up to.

Even a 26-year-old Ashley Young has said he still takes pointers from the likes of Giggs and Paul Scholes. The knowledge and experience these players have makes them incredible tutors for the younger players in the squad.

Of course, these skills are also transferable for the older players who will take these experiences into their post-playing day roles as managers and coaches. In fact, Alex Ferguson, amongst others, has backed Giggs to take the United job when he retires.

This season Giggs has proved that he can still be a vital part of the United setup.

In the space of the last four weeks, he has played four full games against strong opponents, including Arsenal, Chelsea and two fixtures against Liverpool.

He has provided two assists in his past three EPL games, providing for Antonio Valencia's goal against Arsenal and of course his crucial contribution to Hernandez's goal in United's 3-3 thriller at Stamford Bridge.

The issue of retirement is one which has already played on Giggsy's mind. Speaking to the press, he has said that he doesn't want to make the same mistake as Paul Scholes by retiring too soon, but he also understands the dangers of tarnishing an illustrious career with diminishing performances in latter playing days.

But who is to say that he will end his career on the left wing. Yes, it is the position he is renowned for, however, a move to central midfield could extend his playing days by another season or two.

Wingers playing into their 40s is virtually unheard of due to the high-tempo play, whereas the slower pace of the centre of midfield could suit a post-40 Ryan Giggs. Following his run of games at centre-mid this season, he said to the Telegraph:

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Moving into central midfield has definitely helped me. I had a taste of what it was like on the wing against Liverpool on Saturday and it’s just completely different — it’s a different game because you are up and down all the time. When I played on the wing, I would feel absolutely knackered after games. I obviously come off tired after games now, but not as tired as I used to be when I was a winger.

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With these words in mind, finishing his career in the centre is definitely an option which Giggs could consider. If it offered him another 30 games in a Man United shirt, then I think he would jump at the chance.

So what does Giggs himself have to say on the subject? We know that he's definitely a Man United player until the summer of 2013, but will he continue past then?

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If I finish this season well and play a lot next season, I should do it, which would be great because not many have done that. Wingers certainly don’t do that very often! If I did it, it would be another thing to be proud of and to cherish.Retirement is just a decision that I have to take my time with because I feel different after each game. After the 3-3 game at Chelsea recently, it was a really hard game, but I felt brilliant afterwards. Yet there have been other games when I haven’t felt so good. After the game at Arsenal, I didn’t feel so great, so it’s swings and roundabouts. You can’t decide after one game. It’s just something I really need to think about and take my time over.

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Being my boyhood hero, I personally would love to see Giggs continue into his 40s, however realistically I think it will be another two or three seasons at most.

Like Giggs has recognised, it is important that he does not retire too early but he must realise that he has had a legendary career, and he must not spoil it by running himself into the ground.

Regardless of when he decides to hang up his boots, you will never hear a United fan say he has outstayed his welcome. Giggs could play until he was 50 and the fans would still cheer him just as much.

Will Giggs reach the 1,000-game mark? I think his performances over the next year will determine that. It is definitely an honour which he deserves, but the real question is if it is physically viable for him.

Manchester United will never (yes, never) have a player like Ryan Giggs again. He has so much skill and so much love for the club that will never be rivalled and his retirement from playing will be one mourned in a similar way to when the great Sir Alex Ferguson retires from management.

To finish, I'll leave you with the wise words of Johan Cruyff:

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Eric Cantona is a great player, but he’s not as good as Ryan Giggs.

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