Ryan Giggs

England Schoolboys

Born in Cardiff to Welsh parents, Giggs represented Wales at international level. As a youngster, Giggs captained England Schoolboys, but contrary to popular belief, he was never eligible for the senior England team (eligibility at the schoolboy level depends solely upon the location of the school, in Giggs' case Moorside High School in Salford). In October 2009, new rules were introduced for the Home Nations' associations that would have enabled Giggs to represent England had he not already represented Wales in an official competition, but Giggs has always maintained that he would have chosen to play for Wales anyway; he stated in 2002, "I'd rather go through my career without qualifying for a major championship than play for a country where I wasn't born or which my parents didn't have anything to do with". In his one year with the England Schoolboys team, Giggs played nine times, all as captain, winning seven matches and losing twice. Among the wins was a 4–0 victory over his Welsh peers, many of whom he would play alongside when he made the step up to the Welsh youth team the following year.

Wales

In May 1991, Giggs made his debut for the Wales Under-21s, a 2–1 victory over Poland in Warsaw. It would turn out to be his only appearance for the team, as he received a call-up to the senior team later that year. Giggs made his international debut away to Germany in October 1991, coming on as an 84th-minute substitute for Eric Young at…

Manchester United

Giggs was appointed as a player-coach at Manchester United on 4 July 2013, as part of the coaching staff under new manager David Moyes. When Moyes was sacked on 22 April 2014, after less than 10 months in the job, Giggs took over as the club's interim player-manager, compiling a record of two wins, a draw and a defeat in the final four games of the 2013–14 season. After his final match in charge, a 1–1 draw with Southampton, Giggs admitted to breaking down in tears, in part due to the pressure of managing United, and also said he had struggled to sleep during the period. When Louis van Gaal was announced as Moyes' permanent replacement on 19 May 2014, Giggs was also appointed as Van Gaal's assistant manager. Giggs was praised for giving debuts to youngsters James Wilson and Tom Lawrence in a 3–1 victory over Hull City, a game in which he brought himself on as a substitute for Lawrence. Giggs was suggested by many – including Louis van Gaal – as the Dutchman's potential successor at Manchester United. However, following the appointment of Portuguese coach José Mourinho, Giggs announced his departure from the club on 2 July 2016.

Wales

Giggs was appointed manager of the Wales national team on 15 January 2018 on a four-year contract, succeeding Chris Coleman, who had left the role to take up the manager's position at Sunderland the previous November. His first match in charge was in a 6–0 win over China during the 2018 China Cup, where…

Club

International

Scores and results list Wales' and Great Britain's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Giggs goal.

Managerial record

As of match played 30 March 2021

Family

Giggs is the son of former rugby union and Wales international rugby league footballer Danny Wilson. Giggs was christened Ryan Joseph Wilson but as a teenager changed his surname to that of his mother after his parents separated. Giggs is said to have inherited his balance and athleticism from his father. He is a distant cousin of the Barbados international footballer Curtis Hutson. Giggs married his long-time partner, Stacey Cooke, in a private ceremony on 7 September 2007. They have two children, both born in Salford, and lived in Worsley, Greater Manchester, close to where the player grew up. Giggs and Cooke divorced in 2017. His son Zach Giggs is also a footballer. Giggs conducted an eight-year affair with his brother Rhodri's wife, Natasha. The affair resulted in members of Giggs' family repudiating their former ties to Ryan; after Ryan was appointed as manager of the Wales national team, his father Danny said he was "ashamed" of him and that "I can't even bring myself to use his name".

Activism

In August 2006, Giggs became an ambassador for UNICEF UK, in recognition for his work with Manchester United's 'United for UNICEF' partnership with the children's organisation. Giggs visited UNICEF projects in Thailand and told the BBC: "As a footballer I can't imagine life without the use of one of my legs... Sadly this is exactly what happens to thousands of children every year when they accidentally step on a landmine."

Post-playing career…