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12th January 2012
07:30am GMT
Wily old campaigner Ryan Giggs is 39 years young today and to celebrate, we take a look back at five of the best goals he’s scored in his glittering and very rewarding career to date.
5. Premier League v Coventry, 1997
Giggs has been responsible for some horrendous misses on his weaker foot – anyone remember that open goal miss against Arsenal a few years back? – but he showed that his right peg was not simply for standing on a few occasions with some belters off his right side, none better than this one against Coventry in 1997.
4. Champions League v Juventus, 2003
What, his right foot again? The finish for this effort wasn’t as spectacular as the goal against Coventry, rather a neat and tidy pass into the corner after a devastating run against a pretty mean Juventus defence in the Stadio Delle Alpi.
Frequent opponents of the Red Devils in the late 90s and early 00s, the Old Lady chased after Giggs for years but he never succumbed to their temptations... not in a football sense at least.
3. Premier League v QPR, 1994
It’s only when you start looking into the goals Giggs has scored over the years that you realise the sheer amount he scored by running at and bewildering opposition defences and this one against QPR in the double-winning 1993/94 season was one of the best.
Not even a bobbly pitch could put him off and having survived a few dangerous looking sliding tackles, the left footed-drive to the top corner to finish it off was superb.
2. Premier League v Spurs, 1992
Giggs became a regular in the United side in the 1991/92 season, but it was arguably the next campaign, the opening season of the Premier League and the season that marked their first title in 26 years, that he really made his mark.
It’s the sheer pace in this goal that makes it so impressive. To simply run at that speed is no mean feat, but to be able to bring the ball under control, nutmeg an onrushing defender, round the ‘keeper and knock it into the net from a narrow angle without breaking stride was breathtaking. Whoever didn’t know about Giggs certainly did after this effort.
1. FA Cup v Arsenal, 1999
Hardly a surprise that this gets the number one vote is it? You may have seen it a gazillion times at this stage but that doesn’t make it any less special. Arsenal fans didn’t let Patrick Vieira forget the lazy pass in a hurry, but Giggs still had to weave his way through a defence as feted as the Arsenal back four and when the opportunity came for a shot, he absolutely buried it beyond David Seaman into the roof of the net.
The goal itself would have been fit for any occasion, but coming as it did in extra time of an FA Cup semi-final replay when the rivalry between the two clubs was at its peak means it will go down as one of the all-time great goals.
However good the goal was, was there really any need for Giggsy to flash that big carpet on his chest afterwards? Kids watching that game would have taken a long time to get over that sight.
