Ryan Giggs burst onto the footballing stage just as the Premiership was coming into being. On his debut in 1991, he was the first of Manchester United's brilliant youth side to become a regular in the first team. His amazing speed, superb control and awe-inspiring dribbling immediately invited comparisons with the great George Best. But Giggs has managed to avoid many of the pitfalls and temptations that lured Best. Instead he has preferred to impress on the pitch, and in the past decade has helped United to dominate the domestic scene, including winning the Double on three occasions. One of those occasions came in 1999, when United also lifted the European Cup, more than thirty years after their first win in the prestigious competition.
When he won his first cap at the age of 17 years 332 days, Giggs became Wales’ youngest-ever international.
United do the Double
Opposite above: Eric Cantona in an aerial duel against Chelsea in the 1994 Cup Final. His two spot kicks helped win the trophy, to make Manchester United only the fourth team to do the Double in the twentieth century.
Opposite below: Following the Taylor Report, clubs were required to have all-seater stadia by the start of the 1994-95 season. Old Trafford, seen here, was in its final phase of development. The Stretford End would now seat 9,600 spectators.
Left: Track-suited Terry Venables demonstrating his craft as a master coach with his Tottenham players in 1992.
World History
