Youthful Giggs shines on at 40

TOTTENHAM 1 MAN UNITED 1 (Premier League, September 1992)

Giggs's first great individual goal, scored when he was 18, announced his arrival as one of the first stars of the new Premier League. Spurs defender Dean Austin misplayed a high ball on his chest and Giggs swept in to steal possession before impudently nutmegging Jason Cundy, flying past goalkeeper Ian Walker and slamming the ball into an empty net from an acute angle on the left.

QUEENS PARK RANGERS 2 MAN UNITED 3 (Premier League, February 1994)

Another slaloming solo strike, this effort at Loftus Road demonstrated why the young Giggs was being spoken about in the same breath as United great George Best. Seizing a loose ball in the QPR half, Giggs rode a tackle from Ray Wilkins, jagged inside a challenge from Darren Peacock and then surged toward the goal before firing past Jan Stejsdal as a pair of frantically backtracking defenders collided in the box.?

ARSENAL 1 MAN UNITED 2 (FA Cup semifinal replay, April 1999)

Giggs's most famous goal settled a pulsating Cup tie at Villa Park and paved the way for a treble of Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup trophies. In extra time, and with United down to 10 men following the dismissal of Roy Keane, a lazy crossfield pass from Patrick Vieira gifted Giggs possession. Ten yards inside his half when he received the ball, he twisted his way past Vieira, Lee Dixon, Martin Keown and Dixon again before planting a vicious shot into the roof of David Seaman's net.?

JUVENTUS 0 MAN UNITED 3 (Champions League group stage, February 2003)

Unable to play in international tournaments due to Wales's repeated qualifying failures, Giggs often reserved his best performances for the Champions League and, in particular, games against the great Italian teams. With a goal to his name already, he intercepted a pass from Antonio Conte and drove downfield before drifting into the penalty area from left to right and rolling a precise shot into the bottom-left corner with his right foot.

MAN UNITED 1 CHELSEA 2 (League Cup semifinal, January 2005)

This was a display of the technical refinement that has characterized the latter stages of Giggs' career. Gary Neville floated a high ball over the top of the Chelsea defense and Giggs launched a perfectly-timed jump to flick the deftest of volleys over goalkeeper Petr Cech with the outside of his left foot.