RYAN GIGGS says he is hungrier than ever for success and intends to stay at Manchester United. The 36-year-old believes he is in the best form of his career and spelled out how much more he wants to achieve after winning the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award on Sunday.
When the Welshman collected the prize in Sheffield he was still feeling the pain of United’s home defeat by Aston Villa the previous day. He believes that underlines he is far from ready for retirement.
“I’m hungrier (now),” he said.
“I was sat there, obviously taking everything in – the ceremony – but still thinking about the defeat. It still hurts that we got beat. So if it’s still hurting you, you’ve still got that desire, so I’ll carry on.”
Giggs, who has been at United for 19 years, had a question mark raised over his future last season when Alex Ferguson talked about phasing out some of the more senior players. But the manager said last week that Giggs and Paul Scholes would be offered deal for 2010-11.
“If I’ve been playing well and I still want to carry on and the club want to sign me it’s normally been quite relaxed,” Giggs said. “Hopefully that will be the case this year. It’s nice to be wanted and obviously they know I don’t want to be going anywhere else.”
Giggs says he was surprised by the BBC award and the Professional Footballers’ Association player of the year award he received last season.
“You expect to win things when you’re a lot younger, and supposedly in your glory days, but I’m probably playing the best I’ve ever played at the moment and I’m enjoying it more, which I think probably shows.”
Do the individual awards rival the trophies won with United?
“Winning the Premiership, you can’t beat that because it’s so difficult, and you’re expected to win it with United. But this is an individual award, and the PFA award, I think this is more special because I’m 36. You don’t expect to win awards when you’re at the end of your career.”
He credited Ferguson for continuing to have faith in him: “He knows if I’ve had a couple of bad games I’m going to come round and start playing well again.”
GuardianService
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