Giggs thanks Man Utd ahead of 40th birthday

Johannesburg: Manchester United player Ryan Giggs has said that he believes the stability of playing for the Old Trafford club throughout his career has allowed him to extend his playing days until his 40th birthday.

According to Sport24, Giggs turns 40 on Friday but his performances remains of such a high standard that United manager David Moyes is already hinting the Welsh midfielder could continue to play on next season. If Giggs does sign an extension to his current contract his first-team career with United will have reached 24 years and, injury permitting, allow him to hit the 1,000 game milestone, the report said. However, Giggs admits it could have been so different had he ever opted to sever ties with the club where he made his name, as fellow United youth-team graduates David Beckham, Nicky Butt and Phil Neville all discovered on leaving Old Trafford, the report added. Giggs said that if he had moved from club to club, he would be finished by now, adding that he was lucky to have been at one club, where he was surrounded by good players and a good manager.