Sir Alex Ferguson reveals how he discovered Ryan Giggs for Manchester United – and it’s not as magical as you’d expect
Welshman is now in world of management after ending Old Trafford spell which saw him win 13 league titles in 29 years
RYAN GIGGS has finally left Manchester United after a fairytale story spanning 29 years.
But the way he was discovered by Sir Alex Ferguson isn’t as glamorous as you’d expect.
Giggs is regarded as one of United’s greatest-ever players, scoring 168 goals in 963 dazzling appearances.
The Welshman won a host of silverware during his time at Old Trafford, including 13 Premier League titles, four FA Cups and two Champions Leagues.
But Giggs – and United – would never have had the chance to make history together had it not been for an eagle-eyed football fanatic.
However, it wasn’t a professional scout or coach who first alerted Fergie to Giggs – it was a steward.
The schoolboy was playing for Manchester City’s youth team at the time, and things could have turned out very differently if the steward had remained silent instead of going directly to the big man himself.
Sir Alex explained: “We always had a few scouts who claimed they were the ones who discovered Giggsy. They probably did, but they never acted on what they saw.
“It was actually a steward who first told me it was a disgrace that this Manchester United fan was training down the road at City.
“You knew right away, the way he ran across the ground, that he was something else. He was like a Cocker Spaniel chasing a piece of silver in the wind. His feet never seemed to touch the ground and that was the start of it all.”
Giggs then signed up for United on his 14th birthday in 1987, and the rest is history.
The 42-year-old is now pursuing his own managerial career in the beautiful game, but whether his time in the dugout matches his success on the pitch remains to be seen.