Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs made his feelings clear about one crucial match that he captained under Sir Alex Ferguson and what went wrong under his captaincy.
Ryan Giggs is considered one of the best Premier League players of all time and the Manchester United legend had a sensational spell at Old Trafford.
Coming through the ranks of the United youth academy, the 51-year-old Welshman spent the large majority of his Red Devils career under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Giggs was one of the famed ‘Class of ‘92’ breakout stars at Old Trafford and the former Red Devils winger made his way into the United first team in the 1990s.
The former United and Wales player captured a wide range of major silverware at the Red Devils, including 13 Premier League titles and two Champions Leagues.
Giggs is United’s all-time leading appearance-maker and the former Wales boss scored 168 times and registered 266 assists in a whopping 963 United matches.
The United legend, who also lifted four League Cups and four FA Cups, was also a key part of the iconic Ferguson team that lifted a famous treble in 1999.
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Photo by Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images
Photo by Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images
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What happened when Ryan Giggs was Man Utd captain under Sir Alex Ferguson?
Gary Neville had taken over the Manchester United captain’s armband after Sir Alex Ferguson axed Red Devils legend Roy Keane from the Red Devils in 2005.
The 50-year-old ex-United and England right-back would be Red Devils skipper until 2010 and was replaced by fellow club legend Nemanja Vidic in the role.
However, legendary former United manager Ferguson was without Gary Neville for the 2009 Champions League final after he wasn’t selected for the Red Devils’ squad.
Ryan Giggs took over the captain’s armband for the final and Ferguson’s men were blown out of the water by Pep Guardiola’s famous Barcelona team on the night.
The United legend started the 2-0 Champions League final defeat and saw out 75 minutes at the Stadio Olimpico before he was replaced by Paul Scholes.
Samuel Eto’o opened the scoring for Pep Guardiola’s men in the 10th minute and Giggs admitted that United were left “chasing” the Champions League match.
Speaking in The Daily Telegraph in 2016, he said: “We knew they would play out from the back and take risks.
“We knew that we could get at them and win the game but once Samuel Eto’o scored we were chasing the game and a Barcelona team are very difficult to do that against. They keep possession very well
“We got it wrong, and the players have to take responsibility for that. I put my hand up.
“We got a bit of joy in the early stages of the game pressing them and I think that just meant that, myself in particular, we played higher up the pitch.
“I ended up in a No 10 role when I should have been deeper helping our midfield to control the game.”
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What Ryan Giggs felt went wrong with his Man Utd captaincy vs Barcelona in the 2009 Champions League final
Giggs was in midfield alongside Michael Carrick and Anderson and United were unable to climb back into the contest against Barcelona on the night.
Barcelona legend Lionel Messi would score a sensational header in the second half and Pep Guardiola’s side would seal a 2-0 win over Ferguson’s men in Rome.
Giggs suggested that his “regret” over his captaincy came down to the fact that he should have “led by example” and he “did not have” his “best” match for his side.
“They scored the Eto’o goal that we should never have conceded and the game slipped away,” he continued.
“Then Lionel Messi scored a header with 20 minutes left and we just never recovered.
“I have to say that being captain that day I also look back at the chance to have lifted the trophy. It would have been a wonderful moment.
“Most of all I look back with regret that as captain I should have led by example and I did not have my best game.
“That was my first experience of Guardiola and two years later we were back up against his Barcelona in the 2011 Champions League final at Wembley.
“By then they were a much more established team and probably the favourites to win the game but we fancied our chances. We still thought we could beat them.”
Guardiola’s Barcelona team would meet Ferguson’s men in the Champions League final again in 2011 and the Spanish club came out on top in a 3-1 win at Wembley.