Manchester United Veteran Ryan Giggs Named PFA Player Of The Year

Manchester United icon Ryan Giggs has been named as the PFA Player of the Year, with the veteran midfielder's efforts in the twilight of his career being applauded by fellow professionals.

The player, deployed in a variety of roles by his club manager Alex Ferguson this season, beat off competition from Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Edwin van der Sar and Cristiano Ronaldo, as well as Liverpool's Steven Gerrard, to claim the award.

"It's right up there, with personal accolades it's the best to have as it's voted by your fellow players," he told The Guardian.

"I've been fortunate to win a lot of trophies, I won the young player award twice but this is the big one."

Giggs did not feature for the Red Devils in Saturday evening's astonishing fight-back against Tottenham Hotspur, when United overturned a 2-0 deficit to triumph 5-2, and so it is likely that he will make his 800th appearance for the team when they face Arsenal in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final this week.

The 35-year-old has played more games for United's first team than any other player in history, having surpassed Bobby Charlton's appearance record during last season's Champions League final in Moscow.

Giggs is the first Welshman to win the award since current Manchester City manager Mark Hughes, who took it in 1990-91 whilst a United player. Coincidentally, that was also the season Giggs made his first-team debut for the Red Devils.

Many have expressed a certain amount of cynicism about his nomination, feeling it was an exercise in sentimental nostalgia, as he has made only 12 Premier League starts and scored just one league goal. Few would begrudge one of the game's most enduring characters his success, though.

United have six players in the team of the year, but Wayne Rooney is perhaps one surprising omission from the line-up.

Premier League team of the year: Edwin van der Sar; Glen Johnson, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra; Ashley Young, Steven Gerrard, Ryan Giggs, Cristiano Ronaldo; Nicolas Anelka, Fernando Torres

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