5 Best right-left winger combinations since 2000

3. Ryan Giggs – Cristiano Ronaldo:

The evergreen Giggs and the supremely talented Ronaldo combined very well for Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United side from 2003 to 2009. Giggs was already an established player when the teenager Ronaldo was signed in 2003. Ronaldo developed into a world-class winger while playing for United and often found the versatile Giggs as his partner on the other flank.

Giggs could play as a central attacking midfielder too. He and Ronaldo also played as side midfielders in a 4-4-2 formation with Wayne Rooney and Ruud Van Nistelrooy as the two strikers. However, they also frequently played as pure wingers after Nistelrooy’s departure in 2006. Giggs used to play on the left flank, Ronaldo on the right and Rooney as the centre-forward.

Giggs was not as fast as Ronaldo, but had great vision and passing skills and also used to move into the central areas frequently, combining with other midfielders like Paul Scholes. Ronaldo also developed into a fine goal-scorer gradually while playing for United. He scored 118 goals in 292 matches for United.

Giggs continued playing for United till 2012 and scored 168 goals in 963 matches for them. Those two also won 1 UEFA Champions league and 3 Premier League titles together.

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Subhadeep, an adept tennis journalist at Sportskeeda, has been writing about the sport for seven years. He is known for his exclusive match reviews and opinion pieces, utilizing his MBA degree to tackle them effectively with his problem-solving abilities.

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Growing up, he idolized Boris Becker, but he now firmly believes Novak Djokovic stands alone as the 'Greatest of all Time', especially considering the 24-time Grand Slam champion's incredible stats. One thing that still puzzles Subhadeep, however, is how Becker's Wimbledon tally might have reached five if not for Pete Sampras.

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Edited by Emeka Monyei