football+ interview with ryan giggs
TRANSCRIPT
-
8/6/2019 Football+ Interview With Ryan Giggs
1/4
The Warriors Ryan Giggs
He is just anincredible humanbeing who defeslogic. There isno other player
who has donewhat hes done oris ever likely to.He is amazingSir Alex Ferguson
HERE AphotogramementGiggs hMancheyou wouldnt even know I was
Giggs has no interest in bu
and even admits to rec
2008 Champions Le
the back o a dra
most o his me
museum at
I have
how m
do th
at th
not tr
what I
medal o
really doe
It is this
with a erce
winning mor
Giggs the mos
history o the Britis
Since making his proessio
March 1991, Giggs has collecmedals (11 Premier League tit
Cups, 2 Champions Leagues
FIFA Club World Cup and 1 E
when you add in Charity Shie
too, it expands to a staggerin
As Manchester United have
over the past two decades, G
players to have appeared in ev
so ar, has been the one const
At rst he was the prodigiou
curly hair surrounded by Peter
and Eric Cantona when United
League. Then he was the lead
alongside David Beckham, Pa
who emerged to win the doub
beore trumping that with an h
years hes been the club capta
team, helping guide such yout
and Cristiano Ronaldo to a ha
another Champions League.
But what is most remarkab
never been any discernible dip
latter years. As he has got olde
on ormer glories, but rather h
evolving rom that burst o ene
SamPilgerta
lks
toMancheste
rUnited
legendRyan
Giggsabout
twodecades
ofdazzling
performances,
trying
toavoidtheF
ergie
hairdryerand
hisdesire
formorehono
urs
20 ea11 EPL ttle
43 meal
But jut1 club imagesWWW.J
ONSHARD.C
OM+GETTYIMAGES
-
8/6/2019 Football+ Interview With Ryan Giggs
2/4
16 FOOTBALL+
+Didyoumakeaconsciousdecisionthatyouwanted
toplayoraslongaspossible?
Footballers will tell you your lie changes when you hit
30. That is notoriously the beginning o the end, and I
was determined that wouldnt be the case with me. At
30, you are perceived as past it, so i you have a bad
game, people shrug and say Well, he is over 30 now.
I didnt want that, I wanted to prove people wrong, I
didnt want to be judged like that.
+TheDutchlegendJohanCruyoncesaid:
BeoreIwas30,Iplayedoninstinct.AterIwas30,
IbegantounderstandwhyIdidwhatIdid.Wouldyou
agreewiththat?
Im not sure, because all the best things I have done on
a ootball pitch have been purely instinctive, and they
still are. It is denitely the most important aspect, you do
think more about decisions now, you weigh up which is
the best pass to play, but as a youngster you would just
do it, so you do think more, but it is still mostly instinct.
+SirAlexFergusonhassaidtherehasbeenno
deteriorationinyourgameoverthelast20years.
Wouldyouagree?
I probably would, because since I got in to my 30s I
have been at my happiest, I have played some o my
best ootball, because I try to make les s rash decisions,
and I have been a lot more e ective.
+Whatpartsoyourgamehaveyoukeptrom
whenyouwere18?Doyoustillrecognisethatplayer?
Hes still there. Now and again I recognise him, i Im
playing really well in training or in a game. I played on
the let wing then, taking players on. Its not as easy
now everything has to be perect to do it, and every
now again you eel perect, you eel good, you will tr y
and take players on. I am still able to do most things,
but I pick and choose my moments more.
+Whendoyoueelliketheoldguyinthe
dressingroom?
The only time Im made to eel really old is when the
young players all start talking about playing computer
games. They all play this game called Black Ops.
It goes over my head. I laugh to mysel when I hear
them talking as I remember I used to be like that. To
be honest, I dont eel too old . . . I join in with the
banter, it keeps me eeling young. They talk about
cars and girls. I will reminisce with them and tell them,
When I was your age . . .
+Howdidyoueelwhen
SunderlandmidfelderJo
youholdinghimasabab
Danny Welbeck, who is o
came back to do a bit o
couple o days ater he sa
You tell that Henderson,
hes in trouble, tell him to
had to laugh, it makes yo
playing against someone
they were a baby.
+Doyoueellikeaathe
playersatUnited?
I do actually. I like helping
Sometimes I snap at the
in training, i they are slac
[but] I enjoy helping them
+JohnOSheahassaid,
bringpeopledownapeg
Isthatyourrole?
I I snap at a lad, or have a
doing it to help them, they
reasons, maybe not at the
and more complete player, who incredibly manages to
keep the natural cut and thrust o his younger game.
Having celebrated his 37th birthday last November,
Giggs remains one o Uniteds most infuential
players, and as his mentor and only club manager,
Sir Alex Ferguson, said on the eve o his 600th
league appearance in January this year, He is just an
incredible human being who dees logic. There is no
other player who has done what hes done or is ever
likely to. He is amazing.
I rst met Giggs 14 years ago, and have interviewed
him several times since, including a stint helping him
to write his online diary, and he never seems to change.
He has always remained pleasingly beret o the
narcissism o so many modern players, which has
helped to make him the one Manchester United player
it is all right or ans o other clubs to like.
When we meet or Football+ in Manchester, he is
warm and engaging company, candid and open, and
regularly displaying the dry sense o humour not always
obvious in his more guarded on-camera personality.
+Howhaveyoumanagedtoplayatthetopor20years?
Im lucky to be a naturally t person. I now do a lot
o yoga and Pilates, which helps, and I have also
had to make a lot o sacrices, so I dont go out
much, and I watch what I eat and drink. At my age,
you cant aord to splurge on a Chinese takeaway
or McDonalds, and I went about 18 months without
touching a drop o alcohol nothing and I elt better
or it. Now I hardly touch it.
+Howfnelytunedisyourapproachtothegamenow?
Well, or instance, I eel at my sharpest, mentally and
physically, when I completely cut out the oods I really
like, such a s having butter on my toast. So i I have just
a tiny bit o butter I can ee l sluggish and dierent.
+Aterwinningeverythinginthegame,severaltimes
over,howdoyoukeepyourhungerorsuccess?
Because I realise this is all going to come to an end
very soon, the nish line is not ar away. I am enjoying it
more than ever now. I am not taking a single moment or
granted. I am going to miss this lie so much, everything
about it; against Rangers in the Champions League at
Ibrox this season I had 40,000 Glaswegians screaming at
me. Its even more precious now I enjoy the challenge
a lot more. You make the most o it, I love it all, its great,
I walk over to take a corner and people are absolutely
abusing me. I will miss that eeling, it makes you eel alive.
Ill misseverything
about this lie.I love it all. I walk
over to take a
corner and peopleare absolutelyabusing me. I willmiss that eeling.
It makes youeel alive
-
8/6/2019 Football+ Interview With Ryan Giggs
3/4
18 FOOTBALL+
know I am trying to help. I lose my temper all the time in
training. It doesnt last very long, [but] i someone gives
a sloppy pass away, or i they are not concentrating, I
will snap at them. It helps me get the best out o mysel.
+Dotheyoungerplayersearyoualittlebit?
No, the lads dont ear me, but I think when they come
up rom the reserves, they can be surprised, they think
Im quite placid, so they get a bit o a shock. I I have
a go in training or a ga me, I will have a laugh and joke
with them aterwards, they might have the hump with
me, but I will just try to have a laugh with them.
+Howhastheimageoootballerschangedoverthe
20yearsyouvebeeninthegame?
I suppose it could be better, but not a lot has changed,
really, there just seems to be stories sold all the time.
News reporters would leave you alone 20 years
ago. Just look at Wayne [Rooney], hes got one
photographer assigned to him outside his house every
day, but I never had anything like that.
+YourriendandoldteammateNickyButthassaid,
HadRyanwantedtoprojecthimsel,hecouldhave
beenthemostamousootballerintheworld.Agree?
I didnt make a conscious decision, it was just a
natural thing I ollowed that elt right to me. You can
do a lot more, get yoursel seen, do OK! Magazine,
go to parties, go to lm premieres. I went out, enjoyed
mysel, but with my mates who I grew up with. I have
never been that sort o character.
+Hasthathelpedtoprolongyourcareer?
Yes, it probably did.
+Didyoueverbecomeabrand?
There was a couple o years, when I was about 20 or
21 and I did a lot o stu, I went out with [British TV
presenter] Dani Behr, so there were a lot o attention,
but I didnt enjoy it and pulled back.
+Whatdidyoueelaboutthesagasurrounding
WayneRooneysnewcontractearlierthisseason?
I was surprised, just like everyone else, but I didnt
eel let down by it. It is weird, when youre at a club
with 20 other players in a dressing room, people
outside o that see it ar dierently to the players. But
inside a club players are selsh, players are really
selsh. Im not saying Wayne is selsh, what I mean
is [that week] I was more bothered about getting t.
I thought, I hope Wayne does get it sorted out, but
i he doesnt, well . . . Ive seen it all as a player, and
you just concentrate on yoursel.
+HowdidtheUnitedplayerseelaboutthestatement
Waynereleasedjustbeoreagame?
It was beore a Champions League game, so the
timing was stupid, but deep down, I thought he would
stay and it would be sorted out.
+DidyouspeaktoWayneandgivehimsomeadvice?No, I didnt speak to him. He had more than enough
people in the dressing room who are closer to him
talking to him, so I let it. I didnt really get involved.
+CanyouunderstandwhytheUnitedanselt
letdownandannoyedathim?
Yes, I mean, the ans, and probably me to an extent,
and a lot o the players, what really got our back up
was as soon as Manchester City were mentioned.
For me, as a United an, as soon as you hear City
being talked about, I thought Well, that cant happen.
For me personally, and probably or the ans, they
were already upset, but then City were mentioned,
thats what got a lot o peoples backs up.
+HowhaveyouseenSirAlexFergusonalterhis
approachtomanagementoverthelast20years?
I think players are more ragile these days, so the
manager has had to adapt his ways. That is one o
his main strengths the hairdryer doesnt come
out so much, he knows when to have a go or when
to look ater you. His man management is one o his
strongest points. He knows how to deal with most
situations, he has seen everything.
+Bestmoment?
In 1993 when I was part o the frst United side
in 26 years to win the Premier League, and then
winning the Champions League or the frst time
in 1999 against Bayern Munich in Barcelona.
+Worstmoment?
Losing to Barcelona in the Champions League
fnal in 2009 and my very frst season when we
narrowly lost the title to Leeds.
+BestUnitedside?
The 1993-94 team was packed with awesome
players, but the best team has to be the 1999
one because we won the Treble.
+Bestplayerplayedwith?
Paul Scholes.
+Bestplayerplayedagainst?
Zinedine Zidane.
+MostunulflledtalentatOldTraord?
One o the most talented players I have ever
played with was Juan Sebastin Vern,
but it just didnt happen or him.
+TheUnitedplayerw
butcamegood?
I would say Dwight Y
No one could have im
would have.
+Bestgoal?
It has to be the winne
FA Cup semi-fnal re
running, and didnt a
I had beaten until I sa
+Bestperormance?
Against Porto in the q
Champions League b
frst leg at Old Trao
+Biggestregret?
Ater the career I hav
have any regrets, bu
play in a major tourn
20 yEArs OF highs An
I was surprised, justlike everyone else [with
Wayne Rooney], but Ididnt eel let down by it.Players are selfsh andI was more botheredabout getting ft
-
8/6/2019 Football+ Interview With Ryan Giggs
4/4
20 FOOTBALL+
+Sohehasmellowedalotthen?
Well, in the last ew years I have still see n him go
crazy loads o times. He still lose s it with me without
hesitation. The last time was ater the Fulham game
because I didnt take the penalty in the last minute,
Nani did, and missed it, and we ended up drawing. He
was very annoyed at me, he had a word at me. You
can say that he has mellowed, but he can still give it.
+Whatistheworsthairdryertreatment
hehasgivenyou?
Probably the worst came in the dressing room at
Aneld back in the 1993-94 season. We were 3-0 up,
they came back to 3-3, but I had a chance in the last
minute to win it. Ive shot rom outside the area, even
though Eric [Cantona] was unmarked and I could
have put him in, Grobbelaar has saved it, and so
aterwards the manager is in my ace shouting. I you
know youre in the wrong, you just take it, but i you
think youre right, youll have an argument with him
about it.
+Fergusonrecentlysaidhehasstartedtoseealot
moreplayerscryinginthedressingroom.
Areyouoneothem?
I have never cried, I never cry, my missus thinks there
is something wrong with me.
+YouhavepreviouslysaidFergusonnowasksyou
oradvice,sodoyouevercriticisehimorpointout
whatyouwouldhavedonedierently?
No, never. I dont say anything. Im a player, not a
manager. Im still rom the old school. The relationship
has got closer, but there are still clear boundaries.
+HowlongcanFergusongoonor?
I dont see him nishing any time soon, I think he will
go on and on. He could go on or at least another ve
years. Ater a Champions League game we can get
back at 3.30am and then only a ew hours later he
will be the rst in at the training ground beore anyone
else. Earlier in the season we had a virus throughout
the club, he got it himsel and was dying in the week,
really sick, but come the day o the game [against
Wolves], he was o course there in the dugout. He just
loves the challenge o managing this club.
+Whenheretiresisitessentialhestaysattheclub?
I dont know, but I would imagine it would be a
clean break.
+Youarecurrentlydoingyourcoachingbadges,so
whatattractsyoutobeingamanager?
I I have a day o Im bored, and then the weeks
during the summer without ootball are hard. You
want to get up in the morning and do something I
have done since school, and carry on to be involved
in ootball.
+Doyouthinkyouwouldbeagoodmanager?
I dont know. The lie expectancy o a manager is 18
months, so you dont get long. You have to have so
much go or you luck, patience, a good chairman.
I believe I can be a good manager, I think Ill enjoy
it. I like helping players, improving them, and being
around a ootball club.
+DoyouthinkyourUnitedyouthteamcontemporaries
willalsogointocoaching?
Im not sure Becks [will be a manager], Scholesy will
denitely be involved, probably not as a manager, Phil
[Neville] will denitely [be a manager], not sure a bout
Gary Neville, he would be a brilliant assistant manager
underneath someone. He could do it, I just think he is
suited to be an assistant because he is so ocused and
so organised, he could do the day-to-day coaching.
+Whatisthebiggestthingyouhavelearnedwhile
gettingyourcoachingbadges?
Gary [Neville] was brilliant doing his coaching
badges, he gets his point across really well on the
training pitch. I wouldnt be great at that, I am
better ace-to-ace, so would probably be better
at management than coaching.
+SirAlexFergusonhassaidyouwillbeoereda
coachingroleatOldTraord.Willyoutakeit?
I dont know, well have to see, Im undecided at
the moment. I can see the advantage o staying at
Old Traord, like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer did with the
reserves, but then there is an argument that you go out
somewhere else, somewhere new, to learn your trade.
+Howmuchlongerwillyouplay?Couldyouplayuntil40?
No, I wont play until Im 40. Thats another three
seasons no way, I really cant see that happening.
Ive got this season let, and maybe another one ater
that, so possibly two more. But Im not sure, well
have to see how I eel.
+Sothe2011-12seasoncouldbeyourlastone?
Yes, that could be when I call it a day.
+Whenwillyouknowit
I will know it is time to sto
bed in the morning and lo
training. When the alarm
or dont eel excited, that
becomes a chore, I will k
+Areyouworriedabout
likeinretirement?
It is a big change, but I am
about the new challenges
without playing ootball. I
no regrets, I have done so
new things in my lie, but
+Therehavebeenrepor
careerintheMiddleEast
Im really not sure, but so
happen. It is more likely t
in England. I could never
+Whatdoyouwanttoac
Ive got 11 titles, which is m
but each season I set out t
greedy two more to get in
In the last ewyears I have stillseen [Fergie] gocrazy loads o times.He loses it at me
without hesitation.Youcan say hesmellowed, but hecan still give it!