Just how will Ryan Giggs be remembered?

Just how will Ryan Giggs be remembered?

Following the retirement of Paul Scholes, leaving behind a marvellous 17 year career at the top table of European and World football, another legend of the game is surely set to follow in the not too distant future.

But just how will we remember Ryan Giggs, following his most recent indiscretion and the controversy it has stirred up in regards to personal privacy.



Personally, i will remember him as a player who seemingly went on forever at the top level. A largely humble man, who alongside Scholes, would probably scoff at the likes of money hungry grubbers such as Rooney and Tevez coming through in recent years. Despite his affair with Imogen Thomas i think he is a good person, we all make mistakes, and cheating on your spouse is a very bad one, but like i have said on here before, he isn't the first and won't be the last. Whatever happens between Giggs and his wife now should remain private between the two. The media have no right to muscle their way in between the pair.

Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry are two who immediately spring to mind. How many people will remember Zidane for his headbutt, compared to producing some of the most sublime football seen across Europe in the late 90s/early 00s? How many people will remember Henry for his handball, rather than remembering how he lit up the Premiership with unprecedented panache?



The man you see directly above this paragraph has perhaps polarized football fans' opinions more than any other. Unquestionably one of the most gifted footballers ever to set foot on our humble planet, Diego Armando Maradona had a career full of controversy. Chosen by many bitter fans to only be remembered for his handball against England in the 86 World Cup, along with a much publicized drug habit, Maradona is often not given the respect he deserves. What these bitter fans often ignore is how Maradona produced the single best individual performance across any one World Cup that will simply never be matched, and in doing so guided his Argentina to their second and last World Cup to date. Not content with this, he also led a mid table and mediocre Napoli side to an astounding scudetto in 1987.

When all is said and done, i hope football fans choose to remember Ryan Giggs for all the right reasons, and show a little empathy to his plight. For nobody in this world is perfect.Buffon II2011-06-01 13:47:30

Footballing people will remember him for his football.

nah, it'a Giggsy. Was United's most dangerous player at the cup.

Zidane a legend. Brazil v France at the World Cup in Germany one of the most inspirational games I've seen.

Henry a cheating frog, continued niggling crap in MLS, cheap shots etc. Plus not an Arsenal fan so no aura for me.

Ah yes but here is exactly my point martin.

Have you not made any mistakes throughout your life? Henry made a mistake, apologized, and should be forgiven providing you are a mature and well balanced person. You strike me as someone who is not very empathetic.

Who you support is irrelevant. I can acknowledge how superb Scholes and Giggs both were, but it seems you have trouble doing the same with Henry, a player who brought so much entertainment to the Premiership.

If I murdered someone, people would still see me as a murderer, no matter how many times I apologise.

I would of thought people who appreciate football could also acknowledge Henry for his immaculate skill and artistry, and look beyond one minor blemish on a stellar career. Same goes for both Zidane and Maradona too.

Yes,but negative things have every right to alter someones opinion,just as much as positive things do.

Martin referred to 'niggling crap' that Henry does in the MLS. Antonio Valencia showed plenty of that in the CL Final the other day, but he shouldn't be summoned and castrated for it.

I very much doubt there is a football who hasn't behaved negatively on the pitch at some point in their career. All it smacks of to me is tall poppy syndrome. Find anything you can to cut down someone with an obvious skill or talent.

I just think it's an interesting debate. Why bother trying hard to build up a good reputation or be a nice person throughout your life when no one will remember it?

Son like Father....Father like Son

Interesting point. I have defended Maradona and will do til the day I die. Think he was simply the greatest and just such a powerful, charismatic person. One of my favourite players and i was never blessed to see him play.  

Giggs will be remembered in the short term as the man who banged a cutie.

A couple of Giggs videos from youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZcJnWVKDks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUwl9HIzdt4&feature=iv&annotation_id=annotation_816327

I will add, I still have a laminated poster of Giggs from Shoot/Match from the early 90's.Bullion2011-06-01 17:35:53

a very hairy chested, very talented footballer

There's is something to be said about the professionalism of any player who can play as long as both Scholes and Giggs have. There is more to be said when they do so at a only one club. Both legends in their own right, Giggs has one of the greatest heads in the game, hope to see them both in managerial positions shortly.

Also, with regard to long spells at a single club, Ferguson can still f**k off and die. imo

Whenever you hear of footballing affairs like Giggs I can't help but think of what went down in the fantastic "Goal 2!" movie with Santiago, his wife and the talk show host.

Giggs will be my favourite player of all time. I will remember his days with Beckham and the other boys, and strangely enough his season a few years ago when everyone thought he had had it, and he started being played off the bench, however every time this happened he'd come and save the day. So we started using him normally again.

Simple and terrific he is. Doesn't need to do a billion step overs to beat someone... doesn't need to put the ball in the top corner every time...

I'll remember him as the mug who tried to sue twitter.

Of course you will, you gripper.

What do you think about it though Leggy? Do players deserve to be heavily criticized for one small blemish on their career, regardless of whether it was on or off the field?

I think what he did was very very stupid, and quite frankly he deserves whatever comes to him. I will remember him acting recklessly, but I will surely remember him first for being a great player.
He deserves to be criticized, but any football lover will remember him for his skill etc.

Buffy I was completely stunned when I read your original post. After reading the thread title I thought you'd dead set be trolling again, so fair play to you.

I'll remember him for his incredible football career. He made a mistake, a lot of people do. Some mistakes, like his, have massive consequences but you can bet that he won't make the same mistake again. Sometimes that's what making mistakes is about, learning from it and becoming a better person. I think maybe other pros can learn from his mistake as well.

I appreciate what I know about him as a professional above anything else because I'll never know what the man is truly like on a personal level. We can all make assumptions but I wouldn't call that fair. He has been great for Man U, and great for his country and great for football. The same can be said for a lot of other professionals who have cocked up big time.

I suppose the worse thing that comes from situations like these are the people that are hurt, family etc.

Giggs will always be looked at as underrated too. His ability to change his game with age is something to marvel at, I remember in '03 he hit a low in terms of playing. My uncle and I joked about how good Harry Kewell would be and how much better than Giggsy he would be, but Giggs adapted his game, Kewell never did and continued to be a player of high calibre for many years after that.

On Thierry Henry, I will always remember him for being the unstoppable striker at Arsenal. Goals against 'Pool (putting Carragher in a spin), that back heel against Charlton, that flick-up volley against the Manc's...

What about Patrick Kluivert? Who got community service for Manslaughter. Lee Hughes? (Too small name?). Duncan Ferguson? Joey Barton? Dennis Wise?

Thing is with someone like Barton it isn't just one or two blemishes. He has a track record of both on and off the field misdemeanors. Here it is not a case of one negative outweighing many positives, but many negatives. Same goes for Wise.

Someone like Duncan Ferguson, however, is still adored by Everton fans the world over. Now looking at his footballing record he clearly gave plenty during a long career, particularly at Everton. Of course his blemishes are rather large, including a three month prison sentence for an on field assault whilst at Rangers. Like Barton, i think it's more a case of a number of negatives rather than one solitary negative.

I think this whole sh*tty situation should never have happened and Giggs had every right to try to keep it out of the papers. Its England after all, home of the gutter tabloids (part of what is fundamentally crippling the England team I think but thats another thread entirely) who will jump on a hero as quick as look at him if he makes a mistake.

The man is/was an awesome player and it is for that that I will credit him. Like Tiger Woods I guess. Great player, but still a human when it comes down to it.

On another note, that clown Ferguson can get stuffed.

Good player, and that's how he should be remembered. The whole thing would have been a strom in a teacup if he hadn't tried to hide it.

Alcoholism is an illness, not an issue.

Good thread Buffon with some good thoughts in there.

As not just a United fan, but a football fan, I think it would be unfair to remember him in any other way than as a fantastic footballer. To play for as long as he has and the loyalty he has shown to United has been unreal. Even this year he has been one of our most important players and so often he comes up with pinpoint passes, crosses, and corners when we need them the most.

I think to people outside of football who have heard this story, he might be seen as a bad person. But for those who know football, I think he will be remembered for his on field ability, leadership, longevity, and calmness.

Dino102011-06-02 11:41:45

I like to think I'm fat because I drink too much...

I think you'll find a lot of people agree with me though Dino. Especially those with first hand experience, like myself.

Sorry Buffy, not attacking you personally.

Dino102011-06-02 12:43:26

Without getting too off road here, as i was only responding to Jag's post in the first place and not looking for a debate, Alcoholism is far more than enjoying your piss or not being able to handle it. Of course, the person who suffers from it is totally responsible, but whether you like it or not it completely affects the people close to them (i.e. family and friends). Yes they are the ones who need help to change, but often Alcoholics are in great denial, and need the support of loved ones to lead them to complete sobriety.

That's how i view it anyway. Like i said it's through first hand experience, not something i read in a book or on wikipedia.

Jag2011-06-02 12:06:54

Their issues directly correlate to their illness, which is the point i was making.

If I was to play a word association game and someone said "Ryan Giggs" my response would be his goal in the 99 FA Cup semi final against Arsenal. Thats how I'll always remember him. His indescretion with Imogen hasn't changed my opinion on him at all.

Largely this because I would have thought Imogen Stubbs not Giggsy's taste.

what if it turns out that Giggsy is a sex addict?  In that case it would be an illness and not an issue.