Giggs Looking Forward to Beckham Showdown

By David Hobbs
September 3 2005

Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs is looking forward leading out Wales in front of a packed Millennium Stadium to take on England in the World Cup Qualifier this afternoon.

The Welshman has just made one appearance so far this season due to injury but is looking to prove to his United team-mates in the England camp Wales are no push-over.

Giggs is also looking forward to being reunited with former Old Trafford team-mate David Beckham, who is his opposing skipper. "Becks and me, both captains of our own countries, leading them out in front of 70,000 people. If you'd have told us that when we were kids at United, that wouldn't have been in our wildest dreams. Wales versus England, in front of a sell-out crowd at the Millennium Stadium? It doesn't get any bigger than that.

"You don't want to be apprehensive, you don't want to be scared," continued Giggs. "You want to be looking forward to playing against Rooney, Beckham, Gerrard, you want to be looking forward to marking them out the game, of scoring goals against the likes of Rio Ferdinand. There's going to be nerves, but a few of those are a good thing and if I was their age and just about to go out and play against England, I would be buzzing, I wouldn't be able to wait.

Critics have questioned whether Giggs can continue performing to his standard but is ignoring paper-talk and wants to help his country into a major competition. He added: "I'm 31 and if I have four or five years left of my career, or whatever, then I'm determined to keep playing for Wales throughout them. There'd be no point in playing on now otherwise, as we're going through a rebuilding stage and we're not thinking about next year but the European Championships in 2008 and the World Cup two years after that. I believe we can qualify for those. Honestly, I do."

David Hobbs - Webmaster
[david@manutdweb.com]