Soccer'Boring' lifestyle leads to soccer longevity

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'Sir' Ryan will have to wait a while before his next visit to Buckingham Palace. He won’t be too bothered about that – he still has unfinished business to take care of. Over the weekend he celebrated two new milestones – his 100th Premier League goal on Saturday and his 36th birthday on Sunday.

For a Welsh kid whose father played rugby, Giggsy has done OK. The current Players’ Union Player of the Year boasts a list of achievements as long as your arm and intends to keep adding to the collection. His manager reckons he can play for two more years – a clear indication there’s plenty left in the tank.

How is Giggs able to retain his form and fitness at an age when most of his peers are long since retired? The trappings and temptations of fame and fortune must be ignored. At least for now. “My life is boring, boring, boring, but it’s what I have to do to stay fit,” Giggs told Britain’s News of the World.

Sacrifice in pursuit of excellence is a lifestyle befitting a true role model. A one-club man, Giggs was dubbed “The Boy Wonder” at age 17 when Alex Ferguson first threw him in at the deep end. His touch, speed and eye for goal soon drew comparisons with the legendary George Best who later quipped, “They’ll be saying I’m the second Ryan Giggs if he keeps playing like this!”

Unlike the supremely gifted Best, who succumbed to a life of excess away from the soccer field, Giggs has always been grounded. Ferguson refused all requests for interviews until the youngster turned 20 to protect him from the intense media glare. The manager simply wanted Giggs to concentrate on his game. The press could wait.

The interview, when it finally aired on BBC television, was timid and tedious – everything Giggs was not with a ball at his feet. The instinctive acceleration away from opposing defenders, the ability to shoot or cross, and the wherewithal to choose the right option were trademarks from his youngest days.

Giggs never shown red card

It is nearly 19 years since Giggs first wore a Manchester United jersey. More than 800 games later he has never been shown a red card – his sole dismissal was on international duty for Wales in 2001. His disciplinary record, in an era when the stakes have never been higher, is remarkable in itself.

Giggs is the most decorated player in English soccer – a testament to his durability from the days before the Premier League ever existed. As a teenager he represented English Schoolboys while living in the Manchester area, but as a full international his native Wales was the only option.

Four World Cups and five European Championships have come and gone at which Giggs has been nothing more than a spectator. It’s a crying shame his talent has never been exposed at the highest level. One can only wonder what his universal impact might have been had he been born on the English side of the Severn Bridge.

He never married a Spice Girl or totalled a Ferrari. The homely teenager blossomed not only into a terrific footballer but also an ambassador for UNICEF campaigning for a ban on landmines. He has also spoken out against racism – recalling the school bullying he suffered in silence and the abuse directed at black teammates and fellow professionals.

In 2005, Giggs was inducted into the National Football Hall of Fame – an honour usually reserved for retired players in recognition of their contribution to the game. Only one Welshman made it there before him – the incomparable ‘Gentle Giant’ John Charles of Leeds United and Juventus.

With another World Cup approaching, and Giggs retired from the international scene, many players now preparing for South Africa 2010 would do well to take a leaf out of his book. The Thierry Henry 'Hand Gaul' controversy will rage on and FIFA’s global showpiece can ill afford another faux pas.

Whether or not the petition is successful, time alone will tell but I get the feeling ‘Sir Ryan’ would feel a little embarrassed and wonder what all the fuss was about. He was born with a gift from the gods in his left foot. The humility he embraced along the way is perhaps the greatest gift of all.

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