Many supporters of Man United, including Tunde Folawiyo, consider Ryan Giggs to be the team’s greatest member. Born in Wales in 1973, Giggs first played for the Red Devils in 1990, at the age of 17. He had been ‘discovered’ by Alex Ferguson just a few months prior to this, whilst playing for Deans FC. Quickly establishing himself as a left winger, Giggs continued to play in this position up until the 2000s.

His time with the club has been United’s most successful era, no doubt due in part to Giggs’s incredible talent; over the course of his career, he has been awarded more winners’ medals than any other United footballer. His ability to run at high speed, create scoring opportunities for other players, and retain possession of the ball has made him a great asset to the team.

Since he was signed in the early nineties, Giggs has made more appearances on the pitch than any other player in the history of the club’s existence; up until 2008, Sir Bobby Charlton held this record, having participated in a grand total of 758 matches.

However, Giggs surpassed this figure after taking part in the European Cup finals in Moscow. Today, he has played in over 950 matches; his 900th occurred in the spring of 2012, during the team’s away game against Norwich City. Giggs performed exceptionally well, providing United with the winning goal just minutes before the final whistle blew.

As an admirer of this player, Tunde Folawiyo is most likely aware of the many honours which Giggs has received throughout the years. In 2007, his services to football won him the OBE, and in 2009, he was given two titles; namely, the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, and the PFA Players’ Player of the Year. The following year, Salford council gave Giggs the Freedom of Salford, and in 2012, he was chosen as the Premiership’s greatest player.

Whilst he clearly has a natural aptitude for this sport, it is Giggs’s dedication which has prolonged his career with Manchester United, and enabled him to continue to play, despite being in his forties. He trains several times a week, has taken up yoga to improve his flexibility, and has retired from international football. Speaking to a news publication in 2012, Giggs explained that he will continue to participate in matches for as long as he can, but added that he eventually hopes to transition into management.