Thaindian News

London, Oct.2 (ANI): Former Manchester United skipper Steve Bruce said that he knew Ryan Giggs would be a great star for the team when he first saw the scrawny teenager at a training ground nearly 20 years ago.

Bruce says that a young Welsh kid, who was leaving seasoned pros on their backsides, captivated him.

Incredibly Giggs, 35, the PFA Player of the Year, is still going strong, perhaps even better than ever. He set up Michael Owen’s winner in the Manchester derby. Then he came off the bench to inspire United to victory at Stoke last weekend. And he hit his 150th goal for the club on Wednesday in the Champions League against Wolfsburg before laying on Michael Carrick’s winner.Bruce, who left United in 1996 and takes his blossoming Sunderland side to Old Trafford tomorrow, recalled: “United had an amazing collection of kids.

“There were the Nevilles, who’ve had fantastic careers, Paul Scholes, a magician, David Beckham and Nicky Butt, but the one who stood out was Giggs.

“When players are 16 or 17 you can never quite judge it. You could never judge all those lads would do so well. They were good, but the only one I’ve ever, ever seen who I knew was going to be a superstar was Ryan Giggs. He was that good,” The Sun quoted Bruce, as saying.”Now Ryan has to be one of the all-time greats. And to still be playing at the level he does with that enthusiasm is amazing. My first memory of him was when Fergie was nicking him from Man City and was saying we have got this young kid coming over so just be careful with him today. We thought ‘Oh well, he’s going to come and just join in with us’.

“Viv Anderson was then an England defender and he tells the story himself about how Ryan took the mickey out of him even when he came to us as a 14-year-old schoolboy.

“Ryan dribbled round him three times. I just went ‘wow’. I have never seen anyone as natural. Running, dribbling, it was just effortless for him. And he’s not big-time one little bit.” (ANI)