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40 not out, Giggsy hungry for more

ryan-giggs-manchester-united-swansea-city-premier-league_3004741Ryan Giggs might turn 40 today, but the United legend shows no signs of being in a rush of hanging up his boots, nor has his appetite for success been satisfied by the unprecedented amount of trophies he’s collected during his career.

Should he play on Sunday against Spurs, Giggsy would become only the seventh player in history to take part in a Premier League match after turning 40 – Kevin ­Phillips, Teddy Sheringham, Gordon Strachan, Brad Friedel, Mark Schwarzer and Mike Pollitt did it before him – and after his vintage performance against Bayer Leverkusen, few would bet against him being involved again.

Playing alongside Phil Jones – who, like Adnan Januzaj and Wilfried Zaha, wasn’t even born when Giggsy made his debut for United – Giggs orchestrated United’s midfield in exhilarating fashion as the Reds cruised to a remarkable, if unexpected, 5-0 win against Bayer Leverkusen.

Yet, while his appearances might not be as frequent as they were, Giggsy’s quality can still shock team-mates and opponents.

“Ryan was fantastic. He’s done it for years and I’ve run out of things to say about him. During the game, actually, their centre-half was asking, ‘How is he still playing at that age?’

“It’s great to see, his ­composure on the ball is fantastic. I don’t know how he’s still doing it. I certainly won’t be playing at that age, that’s for sure!” said the United striker after Wednesday night.

“Yeah, I’m enjoying it – it helps having legs to help,” Giggs said, speaking about having younger players around him.

“You’ve got Phil Jones in midfield and the front four were brilliant against Leverkusen, a real handful – that helps.

“So, yeah, I’m enjoying it, but I tend to enjoy it more in December and January, when all the games come thick and fast and I can get into a rhythm.

“I’m enjoying it – that’s the main thing. Obviously, you’ve got to work hard during the week, put in the performances in training and, hopefully, you get picked.

“And, when you are picked, it’s just like when you’re younger, really – you’ve got to take your chance.”

Having won 13 Premier League titles, two Champions League, four FA Cups, four League Cups, the FIFA Club World Cup, Intercontinental Cup and UEFA Super Cup, Giggsy’s trophy cabinet is oozing with trophies, but despite that remarkable record the United player-coach insists he wants to win more.

When asked whether the current United could go on to lift the European Cup, Giggs, perhaps a tad over-optimistically, said: “If we play like we did against Leverkusen, we can.

“If we can put on performances like this, then who knows? We can go a very long way.

“It’s a great competition – you’re playing against the best in Europe. It’s a ­competition in which you’ve got to perform – otherwise you won’t get anywhere in it.”