Ryan Giggs sat down with CNN’s Alex Thomas for an enlightening interview in which the Manchester United legend talks about the past, but the Wales international is not finished yet and is still focused on bringing more trophies to Old Trafford:
Ryan Giggs: I’ve been so lucky to be part of United’s most successful time. We had it rammed down our throats and Liverpool were just winning everything and I grew up as a United fan hating that.
Alex Thomas: Can you take us back to 1990, what was it like then?
RG: Day-to-day, it was completely different, obviously we didn’t have Carrington, we didn’t have the facilities that we have, we were at the old training ground, the Cliff, which had unbelievable history, the Busby Babes trained there, Best, Charlton, Law, you could feel the history within the building but obviously time moves on. Back then, you know 17, 18 I would get to training, we would start at half ten on the pitch, I would be there at maybe ten past, quarter past, so you’d maybe spend a little bit of time in the gym, and then you’d be home for like half 12, 1 o’clock. Now it’s completely different you know, we have massages, we have pools, we have all the facilities you could think of…
AT: is it easier being a player now than back then?
RG: These days, is it harder? Probably, because of the scrutiny you’re under, one good game and you’re a world beater, and obviously then they bring the money in to it, so you have a couple of bad games, you know, should he be earning this money? It does boil down to the character of the individual, but you do need help. I had good people around me, I had the manager, I had Brian Kidd, I had Eric Harrison, all these coaches when I was a young player, I had Bryan Robson, Steve Bruce when I got in to the first team. I’ve had people to keep my feet on the ground and you do need that help you know, at 17, 18 scoring goals for the first team, you’re playing well, everyone’s patting you on the back…it is very easy to get carried away.
AT: When you look back at the career, the photos and the memories and stuff, who are your biggest friends in football?
RG: Scholesy, Nev…Nicky Butt, Paul Ince I was great friends with because he helped me in the transition of coming from youth team to first team, he helped me in that respect and we just clicked.
AT: What more do you want to win before you call it quits?
RG: You want to win everything, you want to win every game that you enter, every trophy that you compete in, you want to win. You can’t always do it but you’ve just got to try your best to win.
AT: If I said you’re only allowed one more?
RG: If I’m only allowed one more? (laughs) I would say Champions League, but it changes, tomorrow, I could say the League. The League and Champions League are obviously massive.
AT: Is it possible to win the treble again?
RG: It’s possible but it’s difficult.
AT: Harder than in ’99?
RG: I don’t know, I don’t know if it’s harder. I think it was hard then, you just need everything to go for you…You grow up watching the World Cup, European Championships and you want to be part of that, but it just wasn’t to be, but I enjoyed it, I enjoyed playing for my country, I enjoyed playing in Cardiff, I enjoyed going away and training with different players, because I’d never experienced that before obviously playing at one club, but yeah it was a major disappointment.
AT: You’ve got such a vital role here, are we going to have to wait to hear if you’ll have any involvement with the Wales set-up?
RG: Yeah, I would love to be part of a team that took Wales to a major Championship, and whatever role it may be, I don’t know, but for the moment I’m just concentrating on playing my football and that’s all I can see at the moment, but in the future hopefully, yeah…I’ve been in football since I left school and I’ve enjoyed it so much and it’s given me so much pleasure that I want to carry on and be involved, I don’t know how and I don’t know in what sort of capacity but I’ll definitely be involved.
Interview transcript provided by CNN International.