Reuters
Evergreen Giggs wins PFA award - at last
Top man... Ryan Giggs has been named PFA Player of the Year.
Manchester United's Ryan Giggs was voted Player of the Year for the first time by the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) on Sunday night.
Despite making only 12 Premier League starts and scoring a single goal, the evergreen Welshman finally took the prize after 18 years as a professional with United and just short of 800 appearances for the club.
He edged out United team-mates Cristiano Ronaldo, Nemanja Vidic, Edwin van der Sar and Rio Ferdinand as well as Liverpool's Steven Gerrard.
"It's right up there with personal accolades - it's the best to have as it's voted by your fellow players," Giggs, the first Welshman since Mark Hughes in 1991 to win the award, was quoted as saying on the BBC.
"I've been fortunate to win a lot of trophies, I won the young player award twice, but this is the big one.
"It's an exciting season. I think it is going to go right to the wire, there's big game after big game now. That is what you want and need at a club like Manchester United."
The 35-year-old's only Premier League goal of the season came against West Ham United in February, a classy effort after swerving past several defenders.
Despite his age, manager Alex Ferguson has continued to call on the veteran during big games and has extended Giggs's contract by one season.
"The manager has been massive in my career from when I first met him when I was 13," Giggs said.
"I've been so fortunate to have such a great career in so many great teams, it's not even worth thinking about what it would have been like without the manager."
Giggs, who stopped Ronaldo winning the award for the third consecutive season, is on course for an 11th Premier League winners' medal with United three points clear at the top with a game in hand of their rivals.
He could also add a third Champions League winners' medal to his collection with United facing Arsenal in the semi-final.
Aston Villa's Ashley Young was voted PFA Young Player of the Year.
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Albert Spiteri
Apr 28th 2009, 12:34
Dear Kevin,
Such an award is won on general and all round qualities, not simply for footballing performances. Any hooligan can produce scintillating performances on the field of play. There are a myriad of world-class footballers in the Premiership. However, Giggsy qualities only come extremely rare within any given generation. Giggsy proved himself unique in his dedication, consistency, loyalty to game and club, skill, discipline, sportsmanship towards friend and foe, professionalism and behavior on and off the field. He is great because he possess an accumulation of all that makes any player an ALL-TIME GREAT. Giggsy is such a one.
Pity Giggsy had to wait so long for such long-deserving recognition. Premiership and Man.UTD are definitely much richer for having Giggsy. I suggest all football associations, commencing with our own MFA, should honour this gentleman of football for the unique role-model he has created out of himself for the world's young footballers - he is the personification of all that is good in sports in general, and football in particular. He has long been, and mostly certainly will remain my favourite all time footballer.
Kevin Sammut
Apr 28th 2009, 10:29
I'm sorry but a player who only made 12 starts and scored just one goal does not deserve the PFA award. Don't get me wrong Giggs has been a fantastic player for over 16 years and has more medals then any other player in english football. He is a model pro and at the age of 35 he is still good enough to play in the top division. Despite winning 2 young player of the year awards earlier in his carrer, I always felt he was overlooked in his prime, not getting the recognotion he deserved. Ferdinand, Vidic , Van der Sar, Ronaldo and Gerrard all played better the Giggs this season. He probably won because of the respect he has from his fellow professionals and was rewarded for his fantastic 16 years rather then the last 8 months .