What’s the story
Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs recently picked an XI out of the United players he has played with. He revealed the names of the players to Goal.com in an interview. While the usual suspects such as Paul Scholes, Roy Keane and Cristiano Ronaldo make the list, a couple of former captains have failed to make the Welshman’s XI.
In case you didn’t know...
The 43-year-old has played with some of the biggest names in world football during his time at Old Trafford. The likes of Paul Scholes, Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, Roy Keane, Eric Cantona are just a few of the names who have brushed shoulder with the Welshman at the Manchester-based club.
In a career spanning more than 24 years, Giggs won a total of 35 trophies, which includes 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League trophies as well.
Also Read: 10 greatest Premier League players of all time
The heart of the matter
Going ahead with the XI, it came as no surprise that Peter Schmeichel was chosen as the goalkeeper, with whom Giggs won the 1999 Champions League. On the right back position is Gary Neville, a fellow class-of-92 graduate and on the left of the defence, Giggs failed to choose between Denis Irwin and Patrice Evra. Jaap Stam and Rio Ferdinand form the heart of the defence.
Another fellow class-of-92 graduate David Beckham has been kept on the right side of midfield by Giggs, while the central midfield pair is that of Paul Scholes and Roy Keane. The Welshman has put himself as the left winger, and quite deservedly so. The 4-4-2 formation is completed by Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, who lead the attack.
Two of the glaring omissions are that of Eric Cantona and Nemanja Vidic, who are also former captains of the club.
What’s Next
After spending all 24 years of his playing career at United, Giggs was made Louis van Gaal’s assistant manager. However, with the appointment of Jose Mourinho as the manager of the club, the Welshman decided to end the 24-year long marriage between him and the club.
The United legend is believed to be looking for clubs to kickstart his managerial career.
Also Read: The all-time greatest Manchester United XI
Author’s Take
Picking out a list of 11 best players with whom Giggs has played during his time at Old Trafford is a difficult proposition given the plethora of talented players who plied their trade during that time in United. The XI he has picked covers all corners and it is difficult to brand one of the picks as undeserving.
