Before presiding over two victories over Ireland, Ryan Giggs was a rather good footballer. United's wing wizard is one of the most decorated players in world football, and enjoyed great success even in the latter stages of his long and glittering career.
In Michael Carrick's upcoming autobiography 'Behind The Lines', Carrick pays tribute to his former team mate, reveals Giggs' trick for exhausting Liverpool defender Martin Kelly during a 2012 clash between United and Liverpool.
Carrick recalls how Giggs targeted 22-year-old Kelly, who was right back that day, repeatedly keeping the ball in the corner against the defender, when other players were well placed to receive a pass:
Giggsy turns back, and I'm there, in space, for the pass, it's made for me, so I scream, 'Giggsy!' He turns back again. 'Giggsy! Yes! Giggsy! Any chance?' I shout again.
He keeps turning, short and sharp, chopping again and again, constantly moving the ball, taking Kelly one way and the other, but not passing.
'For fuck's sake, Giggsy!' Chop, chop, chop, get to the byeline, chop again, and he ends up getting a corner. United fans are going, 'Fucking cross it.'
The Man United midfielder then revealed how he went to accost Giggs at half time, only for the Welsh man to give his true reasons for hogging the ball:
The ref blows for half-time after the corner and as we go to the tunnel, I say, 'Giggsy?!' He smiles, gives me a little pat on the back and goes, 'His thighs will be burning. His legs have gone now.'
'Fucking hell, so that's what you're doing it for.'
Genius! Giggsy never let Kelly settle.
Regardless of whether you think Giggs plan worked, United ran out 2-1 winners at Anfield that day, with Martin Kelly limping off in the dying minutes after twisting his knee.
