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Giggs extends Manchester United contract on 999 appearances

By on March 1, 2013

Ryan Giggs has signed a one year contract extension for Manchester United keeping him at the club into his forties.  The thirty-nine year old is the most decorated player in English football, as he has won a total of 22 trophies with United.  He has made 999 senior appearances for club and country, and is set to earn his 1,000th on Saturday when United play Norwich City at Old Trafford.  The midfielder has made 931 appearances for United, 64 for Wales, and four for Great Britain.  He made his senior debut twenty-three years ago on March 2, 1991 against Everton at Old Trafford, and is the only player to score in every EPL season.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has expressed his excitement about Giggs new contract, which will end in June 2014.   “What can I say about Ryan that hasn’t already been said? He is a marvelous player and an exceptional human being,” Ferguson said. “Ryan is an example to us all, the way in which he has, and continues to, look after himself. He has fantastic energy for the game and it is wonderful to see.

“Ryan seems to reach a new milestone every week and to think that he now has 23 unbroken years of league goals behind him is truly amazing in the modern-day game. His form this year shows his ability and his enjoyment of the game are as strong as ever and I am absolutely delighted that he has signed a new contract.”

Giggs has also expressed his joy at still playing for United, and will play into his forties with the new deal.  “I am feeling good, enjoying my football more than ever and, most importantly, I feel I am making a contribution to the team,” Giggs said. “This is an exciting team to be part of, with great team spirit, and we are again pushing for trophies as we head towards the business end of the season.”

Once the contract ends in 2014, Ferguson has said that Giggs and other United veteran Paul Scholes will join the coaching staff for United, much like other United player, right-back Gary Neville who joined the England coaching staff when he retired in 2011.   “That will happen,” Ferguson said. “We’ve done the same with Nicky Butt and Scholes will do exactly the same when he finishes.”

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.