Ryan Giggs
While wingers might no longer be quite as in-vogue as they were in the past, Ryan Giggs is still regarded as one of the finest wingers of all-time. The Manchester United academy prospect came through at the club, going on to make well over 700 appearances in the red of United. In that time, he also collected 64 caps for his country, Wales, whilst playing in the 2012 Olympics for Great Britain.
A consummate professional on the field, Giggs was lauded his longevity, going from a pacey wide player to an intelligent playmaker as his career reached the latter stages.
What made Ryan Giggs so special?
Giggs was a crucial player for United; a regular goalscorer who had a habit of appearing on the biggest of stages. He was a capable playmaker, too, rated for his excellent crossing, overlapping runs, and dribbling style. Though never the trickiest winger in the world, Giggs used his turn of pace and movement off the ball to his and his teams advantage, often creating openings that other wingers would not see.
A hard-working and tactically intelligent winger, too, Giggs spent much of his professional career acting as a mentor to younger players. He was also regularly lauded for his outstanding fitness, which played a key role in still being a regular for United right up to playing retirement in 2014.
What does Ryan Giggs do now?
Giggs has enjoyed some coaching roles, both at Manchester United and now with his national side in Wales. However, personal issues have stopped Giggs from taking on the Wales job as intended, with his private issues leading to missing huge sums of time as the manager since he took on the role in 2018. A regular presence on the training field when available, though, Giggs is believed to have a bright future in management.