Ryan Giggs: 900 & Still Counting

Sir Alex claims he is the greatest British player of all-time, Zinedine Zidane is a fan, as is Johan Cruyff. In 22 seasons at Old Trafford Ryan Giggs has won almost as many plaudits as prizes. We look back at what some of the biggest names in football have had to say about the Welshman.

The scene was set on Sunday for Ryan Giggs to put in a big performance at Carrow Road and he delivered his lines to perfection as a last gasp winner kept Manchester United's title tilt on track. No player has enjoyed such a decorated career in English football as the Welshman and at 38 he shows little sign of slowing down. His 900th appearance for his only club at Norwich was full of vim and vigour and to mark the passing on yet another remarkable milestone, we look back at what the great and the good have had to say about him over the years...

Sir Bobby Charlton: "I saw him when he was 15 and he first came to the club - since that time he's not been anything other than good news. He's got a gift and he's a credit to the game."

Sir Alex Ferguson: "He was 13 and just floated over the ground like a cocker spaniel chasing a piece of silver paper in the wind."

Paul Scholes: "There have been so many outstanding players I have had as team-mates but if I had to name one, it would be Ryan. He could do everything."

Zinedine Zidane: "All of us at Juventus agreed Manchester United were the best side we met in the Champions League. They have so many talented young players and can only get better and better. Giggs is truly world class."

Alessandro Del Piero: Beckham and Scholes have shown their talents as goalscorers for England, but Giggs is the best. He was brilliant against us and he will be even better next year."

Rio Ferdinand: "He is a living legend and will probably be appreciated a lot more when he retires than he is now."

Roy Keane: "Ryan was two years younger than me but in terms of ability and maturity, he was light years ahead."

Steve Bruce: "I remember when he was a 14-year-old taking the mickey out of Viv Anderson, who was then England's right-back. What he has done is frightening."

Fabio Capello: "Like Best (George, not Leon), there is a special fantasia about him."

Brian Kidd: "His talent is God-given. He will have wonderful skill even when he's got his bus pass, because that sort of ability never leaves you.

House of Commons: "It (the House) recognises that his skills have been admired throughout the world, that 20 years on he is the country's most decorated player and that he is widely seen as a role model for team-mates and young footballers everywhere."

Gareth Bale: "He's an amazing person to follow and hopefully I can come a little bit near him."

Johan Cruyff: "Eric Cantona is a great player, but he's not as good as Ryan Giggs."

Tommy Docherty: "He has achieved so much, but he is still years away from his prime, a frightening concept for defenders."

Wayne Rooney: "Ryan's amazing. His energy, his work-rate, his passing and his movement are unbelievable. It's a privilege to play with him. He's 36 but plays more like a 26-year-old as he's up and down the pitch all the time; he's everywhere."

Ron Atkinson: "Ryan makes you believe there is a football God."

Park Ji-sung: "It's almost impossible to replace a player like Ryan Giggs - you do not find many players like him. He is a rarity. He has world class attributes and has achieved so much at one club. You can only look up to him."

Eric Harrison: "A young Giggsy was like a Ballet Dancer. I had never seen a young player like that and I had seen the Busby Babes."

Bryan Robson: "The first time I saw Giggsy, he was playing for Salford Boys against United's apprentices. He was thin and wiry but he just glided past four of our apprentices as if they weren't even there, then he put the ball in the back of the net. I just thought 'This kid's an absolute natural'."

Paul Scholes: "People have talked about Mourinho. It can change quickly - it's about who is successful at the time. Whether they are British or foreign, you just want the best man for the job. I could see Ryan Giggs becoming manager."

Dunga: "Any manager in the world would like a player like Giggs in their side, and I am no different."

Luis Figo:" "He has the most talent than any other football player.He is delicate and dynamic.He is the player chosen by God."

Denis Law: There's no way that Ryan Giggs is another George Best: he's another Ryan Giggs."

Sir Alex Ferguson: "It could prove to be very special, but for Ryan to score the winning goal with the last kick of the ball on his 900th game, well, he probably deserves that for the career he's had.

George Best: "One day they might say I was another Ryan Giggs."

A word from Ryan: "To play for such a great team, a great club and the team I've supported and grown up with, it's obviously special to play 900 games. I'll keep going and hopefully there's more goals to come. You've seen that from the celebrations right in front of the fans. And late on. It doesn't get any better than that. It's a feeling that won't change whether you're 17 or 38 like I am now."

He couldn't, could he...?

Sir Alex: "One hundred games from now? How old would that make him? Stanley Matthews played at 50 I suppose. We will just have to wait and see."

We wouldn't rule it out...