Bryan Robson played with many terrific players throughout his 13 years at Manchester United, but Ryan Giggs tops the list as far as the former club captain is concerned.
Certain names in Manchester United’s history are passed down through the generations.
I watched Roy Keane as United captain in my early days, but those before me would tell stories about Bryan Robson, affectionately known as Captain Marvel at Old Trafford.
Robson is viewed as the embodiment of what it means to play for United because he is a prime example of a captain and one of the greatest number 7s in the club’s history.
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Ryan Giggs, Bryan Robson and Les Sealey
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Bryan Robson names Ryan Giggs as his best Man Utd teammate
Robson joined United in October 1981 when former manager Ron Atkinson agreed to pay a then-British record fee of £1.5 million to sign the midfielder from West Brom.
The all-action midfielder became a popular figure among fans due to his fearless tackling, goalscoring and, of course, leadership.
Robson’s highlights include the 1983 FA Cup final, the European Cup Winners Cup in 1991 and lifting the inaugural Premier League trophy to end United’s 26-year title drought.
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With 461 appearances under his belt, Robson is remembered as one of the greatest players in United’s history, so he appeared on the latest episode of the Inside Carrington podcast to talk about his time in the dressing room.
After admitting that Paul ‘Gazza’ Gascoigne was the best player he played with, Robson was asked who his best teammate at United was.
“You’re putting me on the spot now,” Robson said. “Because there’s some great players who played for United, but just for the longevity and how much he won, Giggsy.”
Robson was an experienced player when Giggs broke into Sir Alex Ferguson’s squad at United, before going on to win everything, including 13 Premier League titles and the Champions League on two occasions.
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Ryan Giggs incredible honours list 🏆
Premier League x13
FA Cup x4
League Cup x4
Champions League x2
UEFA Super Cup
Intercontinental Cup
Club World Cup
Manchester United’s all-time record appearance maker
Ryan Giggs lifting the Premier League trophy
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Ryan Giggs shares story about Bryan Robson’s prank
During the 23-years Giggs played for United, the former Wales international became Ferguson’s right-hand man on the pitch.
Speaking in a previous episode of the UTD Podcast, Giggs shared one particularly hilarious anecdote after being pranked as a younger player by Robson.
“I got stitched up,” Giggs said.
“My memories of that… the first thing that comes to mind is the gaffer’s red face, looking at me and wanting to throw me out the window!
“I had said to Bryan Robson [beforehand], ‘Robbo, everyone’s got a club car [apart from me] and I’ve played 25 games in the first team now.’
“He said: ‘Yeah, I think you should go and ask the manager. Tell him you’ve played 25 games and ask him to give you a car.’ Robbo had never taken the mick out of me or done any practical jokes, so I trusted him.
“So I’ve gone knocking on the door and I’ve said to the manager, ‘Listen, boss, I’ve played 25 games now, I think I’m fairly established. What about a club car?’ Halfway through the sentence I could see his face changing, and as soon as I said ‘club car’, I could see his face was red and he just started swearing at me.
“He said: ‘Club car? You won’t even get a club bike. Get out of this office now, before I throw you out!’ As I opened the door, half the first team were outside – they had been listening in, looking for a reaction. You live and learn!”
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