Ryan Giggs wins Sports Personality of the Year 2009

Sports personality of the year

Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs has added another trophy to his bulging cabinet after being awarded the BBC Sports Personality of the Year for 2009.Giggs finished ahead of Jenson Button in second and Jessica Ennis in third despite entering the running as a 20-1 outsider (some bookies were offering 66-1 a few weeks ago).


The Welsh winger who is the most decorated player in the history of the English game accepted the award with typical humility, reminding his children that they had to go to school the next day! Giggs has enjoyed something of a rebirth in what is supposed to be the twilight of his career as he won the Premier League, Carling Cup and played in the Champions League Final, broke 800 appearances for the club and has undoubtedly been the star performer for the team in the calender year.

Giggs has won eleven Premier League titles, Two European Cups, Four FA Cups, Two League Cups and a whole host of other trophies. He is an amazing servant to our club and the national sport. A role model for kids wishing to becoming professional footballers. His dedication to his talent, physique and passion for our club is a tribute to him as a man. We now all await the knighthood….

Below are a list of Giggsy greatest goals over the years. We’d love to hear from you on what Giggsy goal/moment you always think of.

1. 1992/93

Spurs @ White Hart Lane – Giggs collects the ball, dances past one challenge, then nutmegs the next defender, rounds the goalkeeper, and despite the tightest of angles, finds the net with a great finish.

2. 1992/93

Blackburn @ Old Trafford – as the United faithful basked in the glory of their title triumph after a 26 year wait, Giggs’ great 30 yard free kick restored parity from Rovers’ shock lead.

3. 1993/94

QPR @ Loftus Road – Perhaps the goal that started to make serious work of the comparisons between Giggs and George Best (and indeed, the goal which prompted Best to say “they might start calling me the old Ryan Giggs!”), the winger made effortless work of four despairing challenges at pace before switching direction and clipping the ball past the keeper.

4. 1995/96

Chelsea @ Stamford Bridge – an oft-forgotten goal, Giggs span Steve Clarke repeatedly in different directions before stabbing the ball home.

5. 1995/96

Manchester City @ Maine Road – Classic moment in Manchester derby history as Keith Curle invited Giggsy to strike for about 5 yards, Giggs finally did from the edge of the area, defying all that were watching to find the top corner with a stinging drive.

6. 1997/98

Juventus @ Old Trafford – After a couple of years of European anti-climax against perennial yardstick Juventus, Ryan Giggs burst through the Juventus defence to smash home a goal that secured United’s victory, and more than that, finally re-established the confidence of the home side among the major European players.

7. 1998/99

Arsenal @ Villa Park – In keeping with Giggs’ era defining goals is arguably the greatest goal ever scored – as much for the way in which it inspired a Manchester United side battling with their opponents for what could have been generation defining as it was for the amazing ability required to score it. Do you need reminding that he ran 60 yards, skinning the best defence in Europe, before smashing the goal past England great David Seaman? Probably not. Do you need reminding that Giggs started the game on the bench due to his dodgy hamstrings and that Fergie’s instructions upon Ryan collecting the ball were “run to the corner”? Probably. It seems a bit unfair to the rest of the goals that this one is in the collection, so if you like, discard this one from your choice.

8. 2000/2001

Bradford @ Valley Parade – Another astonishingly underrated strike. Had an Arsenal or Liverpool player scored it you may never have heard the end of it, but anyway – Giggs picks up a high ball with instant control, gives the defender twisted blood (see what I did?) and drills in via the near post. Pure class, pure genius.

9. 2001/2002

Deportivo @ Old Trafford – In my previous blog regarding our number 11 I did describe this as “fewer sights in football are as great as seeing Giggs put defenders on their arse”. Dribbling in from the right, he slots in with his left at the near post. With, of course, the obligatory arse-placed defender.

2002/03

10. Juventus @ Delle Alpi – Maybe equally as significant for the fact that Giggs was facing criticsm from United fans for the first time after a glaring miss against Arsenal in the Cup, he came on to race past two challenges and screw past Buffon with his right foot from 18 yards, pointed to his name on the shirt, silencing the doubters.

2004/05

11. Chelsea @ Old Trafford – Probably in the bigger picture the most meaningless goal of the selection seeing as it came in a 2-1 home defeat in the League Cup, this really classy flick with the outside of the left boot over Cech gave everyone a clear reminder of Giggs’ unparalelled technical ability.

2005/06

12. Birmingham @ Old Trafford – Ryan picks up a pass from Ferdinand, ‘megs the defender, one-two’s with Rooney then races behind the defence to drive home.

2008/09

13. West Ham @ Upton Park – Fellow veteran Scholes drives out a 30 yards pass which Giggs instantly controls, then races into the area, beating two men before driving home with his right foot. At the age of 35, Giggs shows that there are still few players capable of his level of effortless brilliance.

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