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Works Volume 1

Works Volume 1 is the fifth studio album by English progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer, released as a double album on 25 March 1977 on Atlantic Records. Following their world tour supporting Brain Salad Surgery (1973), the group took an extended break before they reconvened in 1976 to record a new album. They were now tax exiles and recorded new material in London and overseas in Montreux, Switzerland and Paris, France. Works Volume 1 features a side dedicated for each member to write and arrange their own tracks, while the fourth side features songs performed collectively. Keith Emerson recorded his Piano Concerto No. 1, Greg Lake wrote several songs with lyricist Peter Sinfield, and Carl Palmer recorded tracks of varied musical styles.

The album peaked at No. 9 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 12 on the US Billboard 200 and went gold in both countries, the latter for 500,000 copies sold. The group track "Fanfare for the Common Man", Emerson's adaptation of the 1942 composition by Aaron Copland, was released as a single in May 1977. It went to No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart to become the band's highest charting single in the UK. Additional material recorded in 1976, plus songs from previous studio sessions, were released as Works Volume 2. Both albums were supported with the 1977–1978 tour, which featured the band playing with an orchestra on stage for some early shows.

Background
In August 1974, Emerson, Lake & Palmer finished their ten-month world tour in support of their fourth album, Brain Salad Surgery (1973). This was followed by the triple live album Welcome Back, My Friends, to the Show That Never Ends ～ Ladies and Gentlemen (1974) which earned the group their highest charting position in the US with a peak of No. 4, and No. 6 in the UK. The trio took an extended break, having been on the recording and touring circuit each year since their formation in 1970. Keith Emerson said that at this point in their career, the group's musical direction had been "milked dry" and they wanted to spend time planning their next step.

In 1976, the three had decided to start on a new studio album and became tax exiles, meaning they had to record overseas. Lake recalled that this was an unpopular opinion as the members had family based in England. They settled in Montreux, Switzerland where they recorded at Mountain Studios. Lake recalled his time there was difficult for creativity: "It's so grey. There's nothing there. You get sod-all inspiration!" Emerson supported his view and called it "the end of the earth", but he and Palmer praised the studio facilities and the quality of the equipment.

Lyricist Pete Sinfield has claimed credit for the album's title, explaining, "I suppose if you're gonna be pretentious, you might as well do it big. They had all these bits floating around. But 'Bits' didn't really sound right."

For Works, Lake wanted to take a more serious approach in writing and singing ballads, and felt singing with an orchestra added greater variety to his songs. Both tracks on side four feature Emerson playing a Yamaha GX-1 synthesizer.

In March 1977, Lake said that the band had completed additional material that would be released on Works Volume 2.

Sides one to three
Side one features Emerson's Piano Concerto No. 1, a three-movement work for piano and orchestra. Emerson performs on a Steinway grand piano with the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by John Mayer, who assisted on the orchestral arrangements. He wanted to write a serious piece that would not date itself, with the aim of having it performed by others in the future. Working hard on the score, Emerson looked back on it shortly after the album was released: "I've squeezed every ounce of myself into that thing. And I feel very satisfied." An initial recording session took place at Kingsway Hall in London with mobile studio equipment, but the orchestra had difficulty understanding the score and performers complained of the hall's acoustics, resulting in Emerson "wasting a lot of money." A successful session arose when recording relocated to De Lane Lea Studios. When it came to preparing material for the album, Emerson dedicated a period to "think and write" following his depression after his Sussex home caught fire two years prior, burning his possessions and music he had put down. The work's third movement reflected Emerson's mood at the time of the fire, and he was able to get "a lot of anger" out through the music. In the band's Beyond the Beginning documentary, Lake recalled that Emerson invited composer Leonard Bernstein to listen to the work during his visit to the Paris studio where the recording was being mixed. Upon listening to the work, Bernstein said it "reminded him of Grandma Moses", a folk artist. Emerson, however, did not recall Bernstein saying this.

Side 2 is the Greg Lake side, and consists of acoustic ballads, all of which were written by Lake and Peter Sinfield.

Side 3, the Carl Palmer side, includes a remake of "Tank" from the band's self-titled debut album released in 1970, with orchestral accompaniment and minus the drum solo. "L.A. Nights" features Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh on lead and slide guitar and scat vocals. Two arrangements of classical pieces are included: Two-Part Invention in D minor, BWV 775 by Johann Sebastian Bach and a piece titled "The Enemy God Dances With the Black Spirits", an excerpt of the 2nd movement of the Scythian Suite by Sergei Prokofiev.

Side four
The fourth side features two group-performed pieces. "Fanfare for the Common Man" is an adaptation of the same-titled piece by American composer Aaron Copland. Emerson sought Copland's permission so the group could use it; Copland found their version appealing but was puzzled at the solo section in the middle of two fairly straightforward renditions of his piece.

The 13-minute "Pirates" originated from a piece Emerson had written for a cancelled film version of Frederick Forsyth's book The Dogs of War. When Lake and Sinfield got together to write lyrics for the track, Emerson had told Lake that he wrote it with mercenaries in mind, which Lake found distasteful and wanted the song to be about something else. He conjured images of the sea upon listening to Emerson's piece, which made him think of pirates. Sinfield liked the idea, and the pair wrote words at Lake's mountain chalet. "Pirates" was recorded in two separate studios; Lake had a falling out with the orchestra used in Montreux, so recording moved to Paris with the National Opera of Paris orchestra and conductor Godfrey Salmon. Sinfeld recalled the band wanting Leonard Bernstein to conduct the orchestral arrangements on "Pirates", and arranged for Bernstein, who was conducting at the nearby Opera House, to visit the studio and hear the piece. Lake said: "I pressed the play button, and he put his head in his hands and from beginning to end, he didn't move [...] If he didn't like something, you would be told [...] he looked at me, and he said, 'The singing's not bad.' [...] I'm sure he didn't realize that I was the singer". Sinfield remembered Bernstein describing it as "primitive".

Reception
The album was originally released just as the punk era was getting underway, when bands like ELP were perceived as bloated "dinosaurs". As a result, Works Volume 1 received mixed-to-poor reviews and is often viewed as marking the start of an artistic downturn in the group's career, despite the great success of "Fanfare for the Common Man" as a single. In a contemporary review, Rolling Stone did not care for either the Emerson or Lake sides but liked Palmer's selections, and reserved high praise for the two group numbers on side four.

AllMusic's retrospective review is mixed. They also criticize the solo sides of Keith Emerson ("on the level of a good music-student piece, without much original language") and Greg Lake (C'est la Vie', the featured single, says little that 'Still...You Turn Me On', from their previous album, didn't say better and shorter"). They offer some praise for the Carl Palmer and group sides, but conclude that the group songs "cover a lot of old ground, albeit in ornate and stylish fashion." Paul Stump's 1997 History of Progressive Rock characterized the album as excessive, indulgent, and "clodhoppingly stereotypical", but also asserted that it "is not without merit". In particular, he argued that while doing a piano concerto is a pompous and indulgent idea, Emerson pulls it off reasonably well, and his impressive virtuosity fits more comfortably in this context than in Emerson, Lake & Palmer's rock workouts.

Track listing
Source:

Personnel
Credits are taken from the album's liner notes.

Emerson, Lake & Palmer
 * Keith Emerson – Grand Piano side 1, keyboards side 3 on L. A. Nights, side 4
 * Greg Lake – vocals, guitars, bass
 * Carl Palmer – drums, percussion

Additional personnel
 * London Philharmonic Orchestra on "Piano Concerto No. 1"
 * John Mayer – conductor on "Piano Concerto No. 1"
 * Joe Walsh – guitars and scat vocals on "L.A. Nights"
 * Peter Sinfield – lyrics on side two, lyrics on "Pirates"
 * Godfrey Salmon – orchestra and choir conductor on side two and "Pirates"
 * Orchestre de l'Opéra national de Paris on "Pirates"

Production
 * Keith Emerson – production on side one
 * Greg Lake – production on sides two and four
 * Carl Palmer – production on side three
 * Peter Sinfield – production on side two
 * Tony Harris – orchestral arrangement on side two
 * Ashley Newton – art direction
 * Ian Murray – design, artwork
 * John Timperley – engineer
 * Roger Cameron – engineer
 * David Montgomery – Emerson photography
 * Kenny Smith – Lake photography
 * Alex Grob – Palmer photography

Sampling

 * The same verse and chorus melody as in the song "C'est la Vie" is used for the Zdravko Čolić's 1984 song "Ruška" and the Divlji Kesten's 1995 song "Svrati ponekad".

title: Works Volume 1


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Ryan Giggs

Ryan Joseph Giggs (né Wilson; born 29 November 1973 ) is a Welsh football coach, former player and co-owner of Salford City. He is regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, and one of the best wingers in the history of football. Giggs spent his entire professional career at Manchester United, where he also served as the club's interim player-manager and assistant manager. He is one of the most decorated footballers of all time, and is one of only 44 players to have made over 1,000 career appearances.

The son of rugby union and Wales international rugby league footballer Danny Wilson, Giggs was born in Cardiff but moved to Manchester at the age of six when his father joined Swinton RLFC. Predominantly a left midfielder, he began his career with Manchester City, but joined Manchester United on his 14th birthday in 1987. He made his professional debut for the club in 1991 and spent the next 23 years in the first team. He retired from playing with the end of the 2013–14 season, holding the club record for competitive appearances – 963. Towards the end of the 2013–14 season, he became the club's interim player-manager following the sacking of David Moyes. He was assistant manager under Moyes' permanent replacement, Louis van Gaal. Giggs left United in July 2016, following the appointment of José Mourinho. During his time at United he won 13 Premier League winner's medals – more than any other player in history, four FA Cup winner's medals, three League Cup winner's medals, two UEFA Champions League winner's medals, a FIFA Club World Cup winners medal, an Intercontinental Cup winner's medal, a UEFA Super Cup winner's medal and nine FA Community Shield winner's medals. Manchester United and Liverpool are the only clubs in English football history to have won more league championships than Giggs.

At international level, Giggs played for the Wales national team 64 times between 1991 and 2007, and captained the Great Britain team that competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics. He became the new manager of the Wales national team in January 2018. Giggs led Wales to qualification for UEFA Euro 2020. He did not manage the team at the tournament however, which was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as he was arrested on suspicion of assault. His assistant manager Rob Page took charge in his absence. Giggs resigned in June 2022, and Page was named as his successor.

Giggs was the first player in history to win two consecutive PFA Young Player of the Year awards (1992 and 1993), though he did not win the PFA Player of the Year award until 2009. He was the only player to play in each of the first 22 seasons of the Premier League, as well as the only player to score in each of the first 21 seasons. He was elected into the PFA Team of the Century in 2007, the Premier League Team of the Decade in 2003, and the FA Cup Team of the Century. He holds the record for the most assists in Premier League history, with 162, and the most assists in UEFA Champions League history with 41. He was named as BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2009, and was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2007 Birthday Honours for his services to football.

Early years
Giggs was born at St David's Hospital in Canton, Cardiff, to Danny Wilson, a rugby union player for Cardiff RFC, and Lynne Giggs (now Lynne Johnson). Giggs is mixed race – his paternal grandfather is a Sierra Leone Creole – and has spoken of the racism he faced as a child. As a child, Giggs grew up in Ely, a suburb of western Cardiff. His younger brother, Rhodri, is a former manager of EFL League Two club Salford City.

He spent much time with his mother's parents and playing football and rugby league on the roads outside their house in Pentrebane. In 1980, when Giggs was six years old, his father switched from rugby union to rugby league, and signed for Swinton RLFC, forcing the whole family to move north to Swinton, a town in Salford, Greater Manchester. The move was a traumatic one, as Giggs was very close to his grandparents in Cardiff, but he would often return there with his family at weekends or on school holidays.

After moving to Salford, Giggs appeared for the local team, Deans FC, who were coached by Manchester City scout Dennis Schofield. Schofield recommended Giggs to Manchester City, and he was signed up to their School of Excellence. Meanwhile, Giggs continued to play for Salford Boys, who went on to reach the final of the Granada Schools Cup competition at Anfield in 1987. Giggs captained the Salford team to victory over their Blackburn counterparts, was man of the match, and the trophy was presented to him by Liverpool chief scout Ron Yeats. Giggs also played rugby league at schoolboy level.

While playing for Deans, Giggs was observed regularly by local newsagent and Old Trafford steward Harold Wood. Wood spoke personally to Alex Ferguson who sent a scout, and Giggs was eventually offered a trial over the 1986 Christmas period. Giggs played in a match for Salford Boys against a United Under-15s side at The Cliff and scored a hat-trick, with Ferguson watching from his office window. On 29 November 1987 (his 14th birthday), Ferguson turned up at Giggs' house with United scout Joe Brown and offered him two years on associate schoolboy forms. They offered to waive YTS forms and persuaded Giggs to sign by offering the opportunity to turn professional in three years. Using the name Ryan Wilson, Giggs captained England at schoolboy level, playing at Wembley Stadium against Germany in 1989. He changed his surname to that of his mother at the age of 16, when his mother remarried, two years after his parents' separation.

1990–1995: Debut and early career
Giggs was offered his first professional contract on 29 November 1990 (his 17th birthday). He accepted the contract and became a professional two days later (1 December 1990).

At this time, United had recently won the FA Cup – their first major trophy since the appointment of Alex Ferguson as manager in November 1986. After two seasons in the league where they had finished mid-table, they were finally starting to threaten the dominance of Liverpool and Arsenal, though they only managed to finish sixth that season. Ferguson's quest for a successful left-winger had not been an easy one since the departure of Jesper Olsen two years earlier; he had initially signed Ralph Milne, but the player was not a success at United and lasted just one season in the first team before Ferguson secured the Southampton winger Danny Wallace in September 1989. Wallace had failed to shine at Old Trafford, and by the time Giggs turned professional Wallace was contending with 19-year-old Lee Sharpe for the role of first-choice left winger.

Giggs made his League debut against Everton at Old Trafford on 2 March 1991, as a substitute for the injured full-back Denis Irwin in a 2–0 defeat. In his first full start, Giggs was credited with his first-ever goal in a 1–0 win in the Manchester derby on 4 May 1991, though it appeared to be a Colin Hendry own goal. However, he was not included in the squad of 16 that defeated Barcelona in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final 11 days later. Lee Sharpe, who had won the race to displace Danny Wallace, took to the field as United's left winger, while Wallace was selected as a substitute. Giggs became a first-team regular early in the 1991–92 season, yet remained active with the youth system and captained the team, made up of many of "Fergie's Fledglings," to an FA Youth Cup triumph in 1992.

Giggs paved the way as the first of many Manchester United youth players to rise into the first team under Ferguson but as the youngest member of the United first-team squad, Giggs looked to the older players such as Bryan Robson for advice. Robson recommended that Giggs sign up with Harry Swales, the agent that he himself had inherited from Kevin Keegan.

That season, Giggs played in the team that finished as runners-up to Leeds United in the final year of the old First Division before the advent of the Premier League. United had led the table for much of the season before a run of dismal results in April saw them overtaken by the West Yorkshire side. Giggs collected his first piece of silverware on 12 April 1992 as United defeated Nottingham Forest in the League Cup Final after Giggs had set up Brian McClair to score the only goal of the game. In the semi-final he had scored the winning goal against Middlesbrough. At the end of the season, he was voted PFA Young Player of the Year – the award which had been credited to his colleague Lee Sharpe a year earlier.

By the start of the 1992–93 season, the first season of the newly formed Premier League, Giggs had ousted Sharpe to become United's first-choice left-winger. He was recognised as one of English football's two best emerging young wingers, alongside Steve McManaman, who were notable for being a throwback to the Stanley Matthews era of the 1950s winger. Giggs helped United to their first top-division title win for 26 years.

His emergence and the arrival of Eric Cantona heralded the dominance of United in the Premier League. Ferguson was protective of him, refusing to allow Giggs to be interviewed until he turned 20, eventually granting the first interview to the BBC's Des Lynam for Match of the Day in the 1993–94 season. United won the double that season, and Giggs was one of their key players alongside the likes of Cantona, Paul Ince and Mark Hughes. Giggs also played for United in the Football League Cup final, where they lost 3–1 to Aston Villa.

Off the pitch, newspapers claimed Giggs had "single-handedly revolutionised football's image" when he appeared as a teenager "with pace to burn, a bramble patch of black hair bouncing around his puppy popstar face, and a dazzling, gluey relationship between his impossibly fleet left foot and a football." As a result of this, he was afforded many opportunities not normally offered to footballers at his young age, such as hosting his television show, Ryan Giggs' Soccer Skills, which aired in 1994, and also had a book based on the series. Giggs was part of the Premier League's attempt to market itself globally, and he featured on countless football and lad mag covers, becoming a household name and fuelling the era where footballers started to become celebrity idols on a par with pop stars, in and around the mid to late 1990s. Despite his aversion to attention, Giggs also became a teenage pin-up and was once described as the "Premiership's First Poster Boy," and the "boy wonder." He was hailed as the first football star to capture the public imagination in a way unseen since the days of George Best; the irony was that Best and Bobby Charlton used to describe Giggs as their favourite young player, turning up at The Cliff training ground just to watch him. Best once quipped, "One day they might even say that I was another Ryan Giggs."

At the end of the 1993–94 season, Giggs won a second title in a row, and became the first player in history to win two consecutive PFA Young Player of the Year awards, a feat equalled by Robbie Fowler, Wayne Rooney and Dele Alli.

Giggs proved to be a scorer of great goals, with many of them being shortlisted for various Goal of the Season awards. Widely regarded as among his best were those against Queens Park Rangers in 1994, Tottenham in 1994, Everton in 1995, Coventry in 1996, and his solo effort against Arsenal in the replay of the 1999 FA Cup semi-final. During extra time, Giggs picked up possession after Patrick Vieira gave the ball away, then ran from his own half, dribbled past the whole Arsenal back line, including Tony Adams, Lee Dixon and Martin Keown before launching his left-footed strike just under David Seaman's bar and beyond his reach. He famously whipped off his shirt during his goal celebration as he ran over to his teammates. It also has the distinction of being the last ever goal scored in an FA Cup semi-final replay as, from the following season, the FA Cup semi-finals are decided in a single game, with extra time and a penalty shootout if required.

1995–2000
1994–95 saw Giggs restricted through injury to 29 Premier League games and only 1 goal. Later in the season, he recovered his form and fitness, though it was too late to help United to any major trophies. A failure to beat West Ham United on the final day of the season saw them lose the Premier League title to Blackburn Rovers. A week later, Giggs came on as a substitute in the FA Cup final against Everton, but United lost 1–0.

On a more positive side in the 1994–95 season, Giggs did get on the scoresheet twice in the opening Champions League game against IFK Göteborg (a 4–2 win, although United ultimately failed to progress to the quarter-finals) and also managed a goal in the FA Cup fourth-round victory over Wrexham, meaning that he had managed four goals in all competitions that season.

In 1995–96, Giggs returned to full form and played a vital part in United's unique second double, with his goal against Everton at Goodison Park on 9 September 1995 being shortlisted for the "goal of the season" award, though it was eventually beaten by a goal by Manchester City's Georgi Kinkladze. In November that season, Giggs scored two goals in a Premier League match against Southampton, where United won 4–1 to keep up the pressure on a Newcastle United side who actually went ten points clear on 23 December but were finally overhauled by United in mid-March. Giggs was also in the side for United's FA Cup final win over Liverpool on 11 May 1996, though Eric Cantona scored the only goal of the game. By now, Giggs had several new key colleagues in youngsters Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Nicky Butt, David Beckham and Paul Scholes. Beckham took over from Andrei Kanchelskis on the right-wing and Butt succeeded Paul Ince in central midfield to complete a new look United midfield along with Giggs and Roy Keane.

The following season, Giggs had his first real chance to shine in Europe. Having played a key role in United winning their third league title in four seasons, he helped them reach the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, the first United side in 28 years to achieve this. However, their hopes of European glory were ended by Borussia Dortmund, who edged them out by winning each leg of the semi-final 1–0. At the end of this season, Juventus' Alessandro Del Piero told Italian media that Giggs was one of his two favourite players.

In 1997–98, United were pipped to the Premier League title by Arsenal, following a dismal run of form in March and early April, leaving them without a trophy for only the second time since 1989. The following season, Giggs missed a lot of games through injury, but when he was fit his form was excellent and he played in both of United's cup finals that season. Memorable moments were his extra-time goal in the FA Cup semi-final against arch-rivals Arsenal giving United a 2–1 win, and his 90th-minute equaliser in the home leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final against Juventus.

The highpoint in the 1998–99 season was when Giggs set up the equalising goal scored by Teddy Sheringham in the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final that set United on their way to the Treble.

Giggs was also the Man of the Match as United beat Palmeiras 1–0 to claim the Intercontinental Cup later that year.

2000–2005
Giggs became United's longest-serving player when Denis Irwin left in May 2002, and he became a pivotal part of the club, despite still being in his 20s. Giggs continued to excel in the four years that followed the Treble triumph of 1999. United were Premier League champions in three of the four seasons following the treble, as well as reaching the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals three times and the semi-finals once. In April 2001, he signed a new five-year contract.

Giggs celebrated his 10-year anniversary at Old Trafford with a testimonial match against Celtic at the start of the 2001–02 campaign, losing 4–3 in a game featuring a cameo by Eric Cantona. However, this was one of the most disappointing seasons United had endured since Giggs made his debut, as a dismal run of form in early winter ultimately cost them the league title and they were surprisingly knocked out of the Champions League on away goals in the semi-finals by German underdogs Bayer Leverkusen. A year later, on 23 August 2002, he bagged his 100th career goal in a draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

The 2002–03 season was one to forget for Giggs. He was forced to defend his poor form, insisting that he was not finished. This dip in form included being booed off the pitch in the 74th minute of a 1–1 semi-final first leg draw at home to Blackburn Rovers in the League Cup on 7 January and an open-goal miss during a 2–0 defeat against Arsenal in the FA Cup on 16 February that was described as the worst of his career, and prompted chants by the Arsenal fans of "Give it to Giggsy." A week later, on 24 February, Manchester United chief executive Peter Kenyon refused to rule out the possibility of Giggs leaving Old Trafford, saying: "It's too soon to say whether we would even consider a bid, and all we want to do at the moment is concentrate on this season." It was further claimed that a rift in the dressing room was contributing towards Giggs' possible departure. However, the following day, Giggs played one of his most memorable games, in a 3–0 victory against Juventus. After coming on as a substitute for Diego Forlán in the eighth minute, Giggs scored twice, including a goal that would later be heralded as one of his greatest goals and one of his finest Champions League moments.

After speculation throughout the season that Giggs was close to joining Italian club Inter Milan, possibly with Brazilian striker Adriano as a makeweight, Giggs quashed the rumours by saying he was happy at United.

He played in his fourth FA Cup triumph on 22 May 2004, making him one of only two players (the other being Roy Keane) to have won the trophy four times while playing for Manchester United. He has also finished with a runners-up medal three times (1995, 2005 and 2007). His participation in the victory over Liverpool in September 2004 made him the third player to play 600 games for United, alongside Sir Bobby Charlton and Bill Foulkes. He was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2005 in recognition of his contribution to the English game.

In 2005, Giggs' form had improved and was no longer suffering with the hamstring injuries which had plagued his career, which he attributed to taking up yoga.

2005–2010

Giggs signed a two-year contract extension with United when chief executive David Gill relented on his normal policy of not signing players over 30 to contracts longer than one year. Giggs benefited from being largely injury-free aside from a series of hamstring problems.

Giggs scored his first goal of the 2006–07 season in a 2–1 victory over Watford on 26 August 2006, with his goal proving to be the winner. Giggs scored the winner in United's next game, a 1–0 home victory over Tottenham Hotspur on 9 September, scoring a header in the eighth minute. Giggs provided a goal and an assist in the final Champions League group game against Benfica on 6 December, with his free-kick being converted by Nemanja Vidić before Giggs headed in a Cristiano Ronaldo cross.

In February 2007, Giggs scored the final three goals of his season. He scored the final goal in a 4–0 away win against Tottenham on 4 February which put United six points clear of Chelsea. On 20 February, Giggs scored the winning goal against Lille in the UEFA Champions League with a quickly taken free-kick that caused the Lille players to walk off the pitch in protest. Giggs later said he was amazed by the situation, as no rule had been broken. On 24 February, Giggs scored the equalising goal against Fulham in a game which United went on to win via a late Cristiano Ronaldo winner to go nine points clear of Chelsea.

On 6 May 2007, with Chelsea only able to manage a 1–1 draw with London rivals Arsenal, Manchester United became the champions of England. In doing so, Giggs set a new record of nine league titles, beating the previous record of eight he shared with Alan Hansen and Phil Neal (who won all of their titles with Liverpool). In the 2007 FA Cup Final, Giggs had a goal ruled out in the 14th minute of extra time after referee Steve Bennett deemed him to have fouled goalkeeper Petr Čech in forcing the ball across the line.

Giggs played a starring role in United's 2007 FA Community Shield victory after netting in the first half to bring the game to a 1–1 draw, which led to penalty triumph for the Red Devils after 'keeper Edwin van der Sar saved all of Chelsea's first three penalties; the goal was Giggs' first professional goal at Wembley Stadium.

In the 2007–08 season, Alex Ferguson adopted a rotation system between Giggs and newcomers Nani and Anderson. Giggs scored his 100th league goal for United against Derby County on 8 December 2007, which United won 4–1. More landmarks have been achieved: on 20 February 2008 he made his 100th appearance in the UEFA Champions League in a game against Lyon and on 11 May 2008, he came on as a substitute for Park Ji-sung to equal Sir Bobby Charlton's record of 758 appearances for United. Giggs scored the second goal in that match, sealing his, and United's, 10th Premier League title. Ten days later, on 21 May 2008, Giggs broke Bobby Charlton's appearance record for United when coming on as an 87th-minute substitute for Paul Scholes in the UEFA Champions League Final against Chelsea. United won the final, defeating Chelsea 6–5 on penalties after a 1–1 draw after extra time, with Giggs converting the winning penalty in sudden death.

At the start of Manchester United's 2008–09 campaign, Sir Alex Ferguson began placing Giggs at central midfield, behind the forwards, instead of his favoured wing position. Sir Alex Ferguson said in an interview, "(Giggs) is a very valuable player, he will be 35 this November but at 35, he can be United's key player. At 25, Ryan would shatter defenders with his run down the flank, but at 35, he will play deeper." Giggs has begun taking his coaching badges and Ferguson has hinted that he would like Giggs to serve as his coaching staff after retirement like Ole Gunnar Solskjær did.

Following speculation earlier in the year, in February 2009, Giggs signed a one-year extension to his current contract – which was due to expire in June 2009. After a successful season, Giggs was short-listed along with four other Manchester United teammates for the PFA Player of the Year. On 26 April 2009, Giggs received the award, despite having started just 12 games throughout the 2008–09 season (at the time of receiving the trophy). This was the first time in his career that Giggs had received the award. Prior to the awards ceremony, Alex Ferguson had given his backing for Giggs to win the award and stated that it would be fitting, given Giggs' long term contribution to the game. Giggs made his 800th appearance for Manchester United on 29 April 2009, in the 1–0 semi-final win over Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League. On 16 May 2009, Manchester United won the Premier League after a 0–0 draw against Arsenal, both United's and Giggs' 11th Premier League titles.

Giggs scored his first Manchester United hat-trick in a pre-season friendly against Hangzhou Greentown after coming on as a second-half substitute.

On 12 September 2009, Giggs made his 700th start for United. Giggs scored his 150th goal for United, only the ninth player to do so for the club, against Wolfsburg in his first UEFA Champions League game of the season. On 28 November 2009, the eve of his 36th birthday, Giggs scored his 100th Premier League goal – all for Manchester United – scoring the final goal in a 4–1 victory over Portsmouth at Fratton Park, and becoming only the 17th player to reach the milestone in the Premier League.

On 30 November 2009, the day after his 36th birthday, it was reported that Giggs would be offered an additional one-year contract which would run until the end of the 2010–11 season and see him past the 20th anniversary of his first game and first goal for United. On the same day, Giggs was nominated for BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2009, which he subsequently won. On 12 December 2009, Giggs' surpassed countryman Gary Speed's outfield record of 535 Premier League games. On 18 December 2009, Giggs signed a one-year contract extension with United, keeping him at the club until June 2011, taking him past the 20th anniversary of his first professional contract and that of his first-team debut – a rare occurrence of a player reaching the 20-year mark with the same club and with unbroken service. On 31 December 2009, Giggs was named the Manchester United Player of the Decade.

2010–2014

On 24 April 2010, Giggs scored the first ever league penalties of his career, netting two penalties in a 3–1 home win over Tottenham Hotspur.

On 16 August 2010, Giggs kept up his record of scoring in every Premier League season since its inception as he netted United's third in their 3–0 home victory over Newcastle United in their opening fixture of the new campaign. As he found the net in the final two seasons of the old Football League First Division, he had now scored in 21 successive top division campaigns. On 17 January 2011, Giggs reached 600 league appearances (all for Manchester United), as he played in their goalless draw against Tottenham at White Hart Lane. Giggs signed a one-year contract extension with Manchester United on 18 February, keeping him at the club until June 2012. On 6 March 2011, Giggs surpassed the Manchester United league appearance record of Bobby Charlton by playing his 607th game against Liverpool. On 26 April, against Schalke 04 in the Champions League semi-final first leg, Giggs scored the first goal from a Wayne Rooney pass, also making himself the oldest goalscorer in Champions League history to date. Giggs also played in the 2011 UEFA Champions League Final, where Manchester United were defeated 3–1 by Barcelona.

Giggs made his first start of the 2011–12 season in the UEFA Champions League away at Benfica. He scored United's equalising goal in a 1–1 draw at the Estádio da Luz, in the process breaking his own record for the oldest goalscorer in Champions League history. He also became the first man ever to score in 16 different Champions League campaigns, moving clear of Raúl who was tied with Giggs on 15 seasons. Raúl though holds the record for scoring in 14 consecutive Champions League seasons. On 19 November, Giggs played in a league game in his home country of Wales for the first time in his distinguished career against Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium in a United 1–0 win. Giggs maintained his record of scoring in each of the past 22 top-flight seasons by scoring United's third goal against Fulham at Craven Cottage in a 5–0 win on 21 December, his first of the season in the league. On 10 February 2012, Giggs signed a one-year contract extension with Manchester United.

On 26 February 2012, Giggs made his 900th appearance for Manchester United, in a 2–1 away win against Norwich City. He marked the occasion by scoring the winning goal in the 90th minute, scoring from a cross by Ashley Young. After the match, Alex Ferguson told BBC Sport he believed that a player playing in 900 games for one club "won't be done again." By March 2011, Giggs had played with more than 140 different players for the Manchester United first team.

On 19 October 2012, Giggs (just over a month short of his 39th birthday) told The Daily Telegraph that he would like to move into management when he retires as a player. He also said that he was still undecided on whether he would still be playing after the current football season ends.

Giggs scored his first Premier League goal of the 2012–13 season against Everton on 10 February 2013 in a 2–0 home win, extending his goalscoring sequence to 23 consecutive seasons in the highest division including all 21 Premier League seasons.

He signed a new one-year contract with Manchester United on 1 March 2013, keeping him at Old Trafford until June 2014. On 5 March, Giggs made his 1,000th competitive appearance in a 2–1 home loss to Real Madrid in the second leg of the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League. On 4 July, Giggs was appointed as player-coach by new manager David Moyes with immediate effect. Giggs became interim player-manager when Moyes was sacked in April 2014.

On 2 October, after coming off the substitute bench against Shakhtar Donetsk, Giggs became all-time leading appearance holder in the European competition, overtaking Raúl, an achievement he described as "special." In November, Giggs celebrated his 40th birthday, leading to media outlets and football figures praising him for reaching the milestone while still an active professional footballer.

Giggs announced his retirement from professional football on 19 May 2014 in an open letter to all Manchester United fans posted on the club website. Upon retirement, Giggs received many plaudits for the achievements he earned throughout his career, and the longevity of it.

England Schoolboys
Born in Cardiff to Welsh parents, Giggs represented Wales at international level. As a youngster, Giggs captained England Schoolboys, but contrary to popular belief, he was never eligible for the senior England team (eligibility at the schoolboy level depends solely upon the location of the school, in Giggs' case Moorside High School in Salford). In October 2009, new rules were introduced for the Home Nations' associations that would have enabled Giggs to represent England had he not already represented Wales in an official competition, but Giggs has always maintained that he would have chosen to play for Wales anyway; he stated in 2002, "I'd rather go through my career without qualifying for a major championship than play for a country where I wasn't born or which my parents didn't have anything to do with".

In his one year with the England Schoolboys team, Giggs played nine times, all as captain, winning seven matches and losing twice. Among the wins was a 4–0 victory over his Welsh peers, many of whom he would play alongside when he made the step up to the Welsh youth team the following year.

Wales
In May 1991, Giggs made his debut for the Wales Under-21s, a 2–1 victory over Poland in Warsaw. It would turn out to be his only appearance for the team, as he received a call-up to the senior team later that year.

Giggs made his international debut away to Germany in October 1991, coming on as an 84th-minute substitute for Eric Young at the age of 17 years, 325 days to become the youngest player to appear for the Welsh senior team; he held this record until June 1998, when Ryan Green appeared against Malta at the age of 17 years, 230 days. Wales were still in contention to qualify for UEFA Euro 1992 before the game, but a 4–1 victory for the Germans, who went on to win their remaining games against Belgium and Luxembourg, meant they qualified at Wales' expense.

Giggs' first senior goal for Wales came on 31 March 1993 in a 3–0 win over Belgium in Cardiff in a World Cup qualifying game, the same game in which Ian Rush scored for Wales for a record 24th time.

After his international debut in 1991 against Germany, Giggs missed 18 consecutive friendly games before finally making his first friendly appearance for Wales against Finland in March 2000, by which time he had already accrued 25 caps. The reason for his continued absence from non-competitive fixtures was largely a protective measure against unnecessary injuries; in his autobiography, Giggs states: "At that time, whenever I played two games in one week I always seemed to pick up an injury, so [Alex Ferguson] and I sat down and looked at it game by game. If the international was a friendly, the feeling was that I didn't have to play." Regardless, his regularly withdrawing from Wales squads and routinely missing friendlies was criticised.

In a qualifier against England for the 2006 FIFA World Cup at Old Trafford where Wales lost 2–0, Giggs played against some present and former Manchester United teammates including David Beckham, Gary Neville, and Wayne Rooney. During a 2006 World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan on 12 October 2005, Giggs scored a rare double in a 2–0 win, but Wales failed to reach the play-offs.

In September 2006, he played in a friendly against Brazil at White Hart Lane where Wales lost 2–0. Brazil coach Dunga complimented Giggs' performance by stating he would not look out of place playing for the five-time world champions alongside stars such as Kaká and Ronaldinho.

Giggs announced his retirement from international football on Wednesday, 30 May 2007, at a press conference held at The Vale of Glamorgan Hotel, drawing the curtain on a 16-year international career. He cited concentrating on his United career as the main reason for stepping down. His final game for Wales, and as captain, was the Euro 2008 qualifier against the Czech Republic on 2 June at Cardiff. He earned his 64th cap in this game and won the Man of the Match award as Wales drew 0–0. In November, he was one of three players in the final nomination by the FAW for the Wales Player of the Year award, which was ultimately won by Craig Bellamy.

In an interview with the Western Mail on 26 March 2010, Giggs hinted that he might be tempted to come out of international retirement for his country's UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying campaign, in order to cover for the injured Aaron Ramsey. He later clarified his position to BBC Radio Manchester, saying that he would only return to Wales duty in an emergency.

Great Britain

On 28 June 2012, Giggs was confirmed as one of the three over-age players selected for Great Britain to compete at 2012 Summer Olympics alongside Craig Bellamy and Micah Richards, and he was subsequently named the team captain.

He scored with a header against the United Arab Emirates in a 3–1 win on 29 July to become the oldest goalscorer in the football competition at the Summer Olympics at the age of 38 years and 243 days, beating an 88-year-old record that had been held by Egypt's Hussein Hegazi. In addition, by featuring in the same match, he became the oldest outfield Olympic footballer.

Manchester United
Giggs was appointed as a player-coach at Manchester United on 4 July 2013, as part of the coaching staff under new manager David Moyes. When Moyes was sacked on 22 April 2014, after less than 10 months in the job, Giggs took over as the club's interim player-manager, compiling a record of two wins, a draw and a defeat in the final four games of the 2013–14 season. After his final match in charge, a 1–1 draw with Southampton, Giggs admitted to breaking down in tears, in part due to the pressure of managing United, and also said he had struggled to sleep during the period. When Louis van Gaal was announced as Moyes' permanent replacement on 19 May 2014, Giggs was also appointed as Van Gaal's assistant manager.

Giggs was praised for giving debuts to youngsters James Wilson and Tom Lawrence in a 3–1 victory over Hull City, a game in which he brought himself on as a substitute for Lawrence.

Giggs was suggested by many – including Louis van Gaal – as the Dutchman's potential successor at Manchester United. However, following the appointment of Portuguese coach José Mourinho, Giggs announced his departure from the club on 2 July 2016.

Wales
Giggs was appointed manager of the Wales national team on 15 January 2018 on a four-year contract, succeeding Chris Coleman, who had left the role to take up the manager's position at Sunderland the previous November. His first match in charge was in a 6–0 win over China during the 2018 China Cup, where Gareth Bale broke the all-time scoring record previously held by Ian Rush. Later that year, Wales participated in the UEFA Nations League, finishing behind Denmark with six points. In 2019, Wales had a slow start to their qualifying group, only accruing three points from three matches. However, they went unbeaten for the rest of the year, culminating in a 2–0 win over Hungary and securing qualification for UEFA Euro 2020. The resulting tournament was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the next time that Giggs would manage the national team was behind closed doors during the UEFA Nations League campaign. His final match in charge was a 1–0 win over Bulgaria.

On 3 November 2020, and following Giggs' arrest on assault charges, his assistant manager Rob Page became the caretaker manager. On 20 June 2022, it was announced that Giggs would step down from his position due to his upcoming trial.

Style of play
A skilful and dynamic left-footed midfielder, Giggs usually played as a traditional out-and-out left-sided midfielder, who would take on opposing defenders, although he was a versatile player, who was capable of playing on either flank, as well as in several other positions; throughout his career he was also fielded in various offensive roles, as a left or right-sided winger or outside forward in an attacking trident, as an attacking midfielder, as a deep-lying forward, or even as a striker. In the later stages of his career, as his pace and athleticism declined, he was often used as a defensive or central midfielder, or as a deep-lying playmaker; he was even deployed as a full-back on occasion. A quick and technically gifted player, in his prime, his main traits were his speed, acceleration, strength, ball control, flair, dribbling skills, and trickery in possession, as well as his vision; he also was able to refine his crossing and passing ability as his career progressed, which made him an excellent assist provider, and saw him take on more of a playmaking role for his team in later years, which enabled him to dictate play in midfield and create chances for teammates, in addition to scoring goals himself. A fast and energetic player, he also drew praise in the media for his tactical intelligence, movement, stamina, work-rate, and consistency; furthermore, he was an accurate free kick taker. In addition to his footballing skills, Giggs also stood out for his leadership and longevity throughout his career.

Discipline
Giggs was never sent off in his 24-season playing career for Manchester United and was only once sent off when playing for Wales, on 5 September 2001 in a World Cup qualifier against Norway; Giggs received a second yellow card in the 86th minute. In November 2003, he was found guilty of improper conduct by the FA due to his behaviour during the Battle of Old Trafford game against Arsenal (one of two United and six Arsenal players charged over the incident); Giggs received a £7,500 fine but avoided suspension. In the same week, Giggs received a two-match suspension from international football for deliberately elbowing Russian player Vadim Evseev in the face during the first leg of the Euro 2004 play-offs. The offence was missed by referee Lucílio Batista, but Giggs was later charged using video evidence.

Endorsements and public image
Giggs featured in advertisements for Reebok, ITV Digital, Kagome tomato juice, Quorn and Celcom. A 1996 Reebok advertisement, which did not feature him, included figures such as Sting, Tom Jones, Richard Attenborough and George Best impersonating him.

According to an article by BBC Sport: "In the early 1990s, Giggs was David Beckham before Beckham was even holding down a place in the United first team. If you put his face on the cover of a football magazine, it guaranteed you the biggest sales of the year. Why? Men would buy it to read about 'the new Best' and girls bought it because they wanted his face all over their bedroom walls. Giggs had the million-pound boot deal (Reebok), the lucrative sponsorship deals in the Far East (Fuji) and the celebrity girlfriends (Dani Behr, Davinia Taylor) at a time when Beckham was being sent on loan to Preston North End."

Giggs features in EA Sports' FIFA video game series, and was selected to appear on the cover of FIFA Football 2003 alongside Dutch international midfielder Edgar Davids, and Brazilian international fullback Roberto Carlos. Giggs was included in the FIFA 16 and 17 Ultimate Team Legends.

Family
Giggs is the son of former rugby union and Wales international rugby league footballer Danny Wilson. Giggs was christened Ryan Joseph Wilson but as a teenager changed his surname to that of his mother after his parents separated. Giggs is said to have inherited his balance and athleticism from his father. He is a distant cousin of the Barbados international footballer Curtis Hutson.

Giggs married his long-time partner, Stacey Cooke, in a private ceremony on 7 September 2007. They have two children, both born in Salford, and lived in Worsley, Greater Manchester, close to where the player grew up. Giggs and Cooke divorced in 2017. His son Zach Giggs is also a footballer.

Giggs conducted an eight-year affair with his brother Rhodri's wife, Natasha. The affair resulted in members of Giggs' family repudiating their former ties to Ryan; after Ryan was appointed as manager of the Wales national team, his father Danny said he was "ashamed" of him and that "I can't even bring myself to use his name".

Activism
In August 2006, Giggs became an ambassador for UNICEF UK, in recognition for his work with Manchester United's 'United for UNICEF' partnership with the children's organisation. Giggs visited UNICEF projects in Thailand and told the BBC: "As a footballer I can't imagine life without the use of one of my legs... Sadly this is exactly what happens to thousands of children every year when they accidentally step on a landmine."

Post-playing career
In October 2010, Giggs said he would "probably finish [his] career here [Old Trafford]," and that he could not see himself "dropping down leagues and playing at a lesser level." He said he wanted to go into coaching, describing the management of Manchester United or Wales as "the two ultimate jobs," and stating that he was halfway through his UEFA 'A' coaching licence.

Gary Neville, ahead of his 2011 testimonial, said he would put the proceeds towards a supporters club and hotel near Old Trafford. Trafford Council approved the hotel in 2012 despite objections from Manchester United. In 2013, Giggs and Neville launched a hospitality company named GG Hospitality, with plans to build football-themed hotels and cafés around the United Kingdom, initially in Manchester and London. The first operation was a football-themed restaurant named Café Football in Stratford, London, which opened in November 2013, with Hotel Football, previously under the guise of the supporters club Neville announced in 2011, scheduled to be opened in late 2014.

In 2014, it was announced that Giggs, along with former Manchester United players Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Phil Neville, had agreed a deal to purchase Salford City ahead of the 2014–15 season. with plans to get the club to the Football League. The group announced they would take part in a special friendly, with Salford facing a Class of '92 team. On 22 September, the group agreed to sell a 50% stake in the club to billionaire Peter Lim.

In September 2017, along with former United teammates including Gary Neville, Giggs proposed a university in Greater Manchester, named University Academy 92 which would offer "broader courses than traditional degrees" and attract students who "otherwise might not go on to higher education".

In November 2017, it was reported that Giggs had signed a consultancy deal with the Promotion Fund of Vietnamese Football Talents FC (PVF). The two-year deal would involve making two trips per year to Vietnam.

Gagging order
In May 2011, it was reported in non-UK media sources that Giggs was the identity of CTB in CTB v News Group Newspapers, a footballer who had obtained an anonymised gagging order in relation to an alleged extra-marital affair with model Imogen Thomas. Giggs took legal action against the social networking site Twitter after he was named by a user in a list of identities of individuals who had allegedly taken out so-called "super-injunctions". A blogger for Forbes magazine remarked that Giggs had "not heard of the Streisand effect," observing that mentions of his name had increased significantly after the case against Twitter had been reported.

On 22 May 2011, the Sunday Herald, a Scottish newspaper, published a thinly-disguised photograph of Giggs on its front page, with the word "CENSORED" covering his eyes. Sunday Herald editor Richard Walker stated that the London High Court ruling had no force in Scotland, unless copies of the paper were sold in England or Wales. On 23 May, the gagging order set off a political controversy, with Prime Minister David Cameron commenting that the law should be reviewed to "catch up with how people consume media today". On the same day, Liberal Democrat MP John Hemming used parliamentary privilege to name Giggs as CTB.

Arrest and trial
On 3 November 2020, Giggs was arrested on suspicion of two counts of assault against his ex-girlfriend, Kate Greville, and her younger sister, Emma. He denied the charges against him.

In April 2021, he was charged with assault causing actual bodily harm to Kate Greville and common assault against Emma Greville, as well as coercive and controlling behaviour against Kate. On 28 April, he appeared in court, where he denied the charges.

His trial began on 8 August 2022. The jury of seven women and four men was discharged on 31 August, having been unable to reach a verdict on any of the charges. On 18 July 2023, two weeks before he was due to face a retrial, Giggs was cleared as the Crown Prosecution Service withdrew charges. The prosecutor said that Kate Greville was unwilling to give evidence in the retrial.

International

 * Scores and results list Wales' and Great Britain's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Giggs goal.

Honours
Manchester United
 * Premier League: 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13
 * FA Cup: 1993–94, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2003–04
 * Football League Cup: 1991–92, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10
 * FA Community Shield: 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2013
 * UEFA Champions League: 1998–99, 2007–08
 * UEFA Super Cup: 1991
 * Intercontinental Cup: 1999
 * FIFA Club World Cup: 2008

Individual
 * PFA Young Player of the Year: 1991–92, 1992–93
 * PFA Team of the Year: 1992–93, 1997–98, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2006–07, 2008–09
 * PFA Team of the Century: 1997–2007
 * PFA Players' Player of the Year: 2008–09
 * PFA Merit Award: 2016
 * FWA Tribute Award: 2007
 * Bravo Award: 1993
 * BBC Sports Personality of the Year: 2009
 * BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year: 1996, 2009
 * GQ Sportsman of the Year: 2010
 * Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year: 1997–98
 * Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year: 1990–91, 1991–92
 * Manchester United Players' Player of the Year: 2005–06
 * Premier League 10 Seasons Awards (1992–93 to 2001–02): Overall Team of the Decade
 * Premier League 10 Seasons Awards (1992–93 to 2001–02): Domestic Team of the Decade
 * Premier League 20 Seasons Awards (1992–93 to 2011–12): Best Player
 * Premier League 20 Seasons Awards (1992–93 to 2011–12): Fantasy Teams of the 20 Seasons public and panel choice
 * Premier League 20 Seasons Awards (1992–93 to 2011–12): Most Player Appearances (596)
 * UEFA Champions League 10 Seasons Dream Team (1992 to 2002): 2002
 * Welsh Footballer of the Year: 1996, 2006
 * Premier League Player of the Month: August 2006, February 2007
 * BBC Goal of the Season: 1998–99
 * Intercontinental Cup Most Valuable Player of the Match Award: 1999
 * English Football Hall of Fame Inductee: 2005
 * UEFA Champions League top assist provider: 2006–07
 * Golden Foot: 2011
 * Globe Soccer Awards Player Career Award: 2019
 * One Club Award: 2020
 * IFFHS Legends

Records State and civic honours
 * Has won a record 13 top division English league titles as a player, and only Manchester United player to have winner's medals from all 13 Premier League title wins.
 * Most Premier League appearances for a player, with 632 (since surpassed by Gareth Barry).
 * Most Premier League assists for a player, with 162.
 * Most UEFA Champions League assists for a player, with 41.
 * Only player to have played in 22 successive Premier League seasons.
 * Only player to have scored in 21 successive Premier League seasons.
 * First player to have scored in 17 different Champions League tournaments (includes 11 consecutive tournaments, 1996–97 to 2006–07; Lionel Messi and Karim Benzema have a better record with 18)
 * Most goals by a British player in the Champions League/European Cup proper history, and 14th overall (not including preliminary rounds).
 * Most appearances by a Manchester United player.
 * Most starts by a Manchester United player, started in 794 games.
 * First player to score 100 Premier League goals for Manchester United.
 * Second midfielder to have scored 100 goals in the Premier League for a single club (first being Matt Le Tissier).
 * One of four Manchester United players to win two Champions League titles (others are Paul Scholes, Gary Neville and Wes Brown). The only player to play in two winning finals.
 * Oldest (37 years, 289 days) player to score in the Champions League, when he scored against Benfica on 14 September 2011.
 * One of two Manchester United players to win at least 10 top division medals (the other one is Paul Scholes.)
 * Oldest (38 years, 243 days) player to score in the Football competition at the Summer Olympics, when he scored against United Arab Emirates on 29 July 2012.
 * OBE for services to football: 2007
 * Honorary Master of Arts degree from the University of Salford for contributions to football and charity work in developing countries: 2008
 * Freedom of the City of Salford: 7 January 2010. He is the 22nd person to receive the Freedom of the City of Salford.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Ryan Giggs


text:
USS Seadragon (SSN-584)

USS Seadragon (SSN-584), a Skate-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the seadragon, a name for some types of seahorse. She was a nuclear-powered submarine.

Construction and commissioning
The contract to build Seadragon was awarded to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, on 29 September 1955 and her keel was laid down on 20 June 1956. She was launched on 16 August 1958, sponsored by Mrs. Robert L. Dennison, wife of Admiral Robert L. Dennison. Seadragon collided with a whale on October 6, 1959 during sea trials, causing only minor damage. The ship was commissioned on 5 December 1959, with Lieutenant Commander George P. Steele in command.

Operational history
Following a Caribbean shakedown cruise, Seadragon returned to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, whence, on 1 August 1960, she sailed for the Pacific. Ordered to proceed via the Northwest Passage, she moved north to Parry Channel, at mid-month reached Lancaster Sound, the eastern end of the channel, and continued westward with Edward Parry's 1819 journal as a guide.

Collecting oceanographic and hydrographic data en route, Seadragon transited the Barrow Strait, Viscount Melville Sound, and McClure Strait. On 21 August, she completed the first submarine transit of the Northwest Passage, entered the Beaufort Sea, and headed for the North Pole, which she reached on 25 August. The ship surfaced through the thin ice becoming the third submarine to surface at the pole. Members of the crew laid out a softball diamond with the pitcher's box at the pole where the captain claimed he hit a fly ball at 4:00 pm on Wednesday and it wasn't caught until 4:00 am on Thursday. From the pole, Seadragon (having no other choice) turned south, and after conducting experiments in cooperation with scientists on ice island T-3, headed for the Chukchi Sea and Bering Strait. On 5 September, she reached Nome, Alaska, and, nine days later, she arrived at her home port, Pearl Harbor. She was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for her transit of the Northwest Passage via Parry Channel.

For the next nine months, Seadragon was employed in local operations. In June 1961, she headed west for her first tour in the western Pacific (WestPac), during which she participated in Seventh Fleet exercises – primarily antisubmarine warfare training exercises – and completed a submerged endurance cruise of 58 days. In October, she returned to Pearl Harbor and local operations.

On 12 July 1962, Seadragon departed Pearl Harbor for her second Arctic cruise. Transiting the Bering Strait and the Chukchi Sea, she contacted T-3, then moved further north to rendezvous with sister ship, USS Skate (SSN-578), en route from New London, Connecticut. On 31 July, the two submarines rendezvoused under the ice and continued on to the North Pole, arriving on 2 August for sonar and weapons evaluations. The submarines were joined by the icebreaker USS Burton Island (AGB-1). In late August, the submarines returned to their home ports. En route, Seadragon, which was scheduled to port at Seattle, Washington, rescued 12 survivors from a downed seaplane and delivered them to Port Angeles, Washington. On 14 September, Seadragon arrived back at Pearl Harbor.

During the first half of 1963, Seadragon participated in local operations and conducted her second WestPac cruise. On 8 July, she entered the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard for her first refueling and overhaul. In late May 1964, she resumed operations in the Hawaiian area. Torpedo evaluations off the Washington coast followed; and, on 10 August 1964, Seadragon sailed west in response to the Gulf of Tonkin incident. During September and October, she operated out of Subic Bay; then, after a call at Hong Kong continued on to Okinawa and Japan to conduct public relations cruises and to participate in further Seventh Fleet exercises.

On 27 October 1964, Seadragon became the first nuclear powered vessel to visit Hong Kong. This was followed shortly by an historic entry into Japanese waters and a port visit to Sasebo, Japan, on 12 November 1964. The visit was protested by China and the Soviet Union; the Soviets in particular warned that the visit would eventually lead to the introduction of nuclear weapons to Japan and alter the security status quo in East Asia. On 4 March 1965, she returned to Pearl Harbor. Again, in the fall of 1966 and early 1967, Seadragon became the first SSN to visit Yokosuka, Japan. She was the first nuclear powered vessel the Japanese government permitted to enter her home waters. This achievement has since often been compared with Commodore PERRY's first expedition to Japan in 1853 as an achievement in international diplomacy. Seadragon was the first SSN to visit Hobart, Australia in January 1983. In twenty-four years of active service, Seadragon steamed over 200,000 miles, dove and surfaced 1800 times, made thirteen deployments to the Western Pacific, and conducted four under ice operations. Seadragon was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation and the Meritorious Unit Commendation. The ship was overhauled three times, refueling at each overhaul. Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard was her home for all the overhauls and performed the inactivation commencing 1 October 1983. Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, which she visited on occasional trips to the North Polar region, performed the recycling.

Decommissioning
Decommissioned on 12 June 1984 and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 30 April 1986, ex-Seadragon entered the Navy's Nuclear-Powered Ship-Submarine Recycling Program on 1 October 1994. On 18 September 1995, Seadragon ceased to exist. Seadragon was decommissioned after only 24 and a half years of commissioned service – five and a half years less than the normal 30 year service life for U.S. Navy submarines.

In literature
Seadragon is featured in the 2017 novel SSN Seadragon: The Crucible of Leviathan by J. P. Ronald, in which she takes part in an operation to thwart Soviet intervention in the Vietnam War.

title: USS Seadragon (SSN-584)


text:
Eraser

An eraser (also known as a rubber in some Commonwealth countries, including South Africa  from which the material first used got its name) is an article of stationery that is used for removing marks from paper or skin (e.g. parchment or vellum). Erasers have a rubbery consistency and come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Some pencils have an eraser on one end. Erasers can come in various shapes and colors. Less expensive erasers are made from synthetic rubber and synthetic soy-based gum, but more expensive or specialized erasers are made from vinyl, plastic, or gum-like materials.

At first, erasers were invented to erase mistakes made with a pencil; later, more abrasive ink erasers were introduced. The term is also used for things that remove marks from chalkboards and whiteboards.

History
Before rubber erasers used today, tablets of wax were used to erase lead or charcoal marks from paper. Bits of rough stone such as sandstone or pumice were used to remove small errors from parchment or papyrus documents written in ink. Crustless bread was used; a Meiji period (1868–1912) Tokyo student said: "Bread erasers were used in place of rubber erasers, and so they would give them to us with no restriction on amount. So we thought nothing of taking these and eating a firm part to at least slightly satisfy our hunger."

In 1770 English engineer Edward Nairne is reported to have developed the first widely marketed rubber eraser, for an inventions competition. Until that time the material was known as gum elastic or by its Native American name (via French) caoutchouc. Nairne sold natural rubber erasers for the high price of three shillings per half-inch cube. According to Nairne, he inadvertently picked up a piece of rubber instead of breadcrumbs, discovered rubber's erasing properties, and began selling rubber erasers. The invention was described by Joseph Priestley on April 15, 1770, in a footnote: "I have seen a substance excellently adapted to the purpose of wiping from paper the mark of black-lead-pencil. ... It is sold by Mr. Nairne, Mathematical Instrument-Maker, opposite the Royal-Exchange." In 1770 the word rubber was in general use for any object used for rubbing; the word became attached to the new material sometime between 1770 and 1778.

However, raw rubber was perishable. In 1839 Charles Goodyear discovered the process of vulcanization, a method that would cure rubber, making it durable. Rubber erasers became common with the advent of vulcanization.

On March 30, 1858, Hymen Lipman of Philadelphia, United States, received the first patent for attaching an eraser to the end of a pencil. It was later invalidated because it was determined to be simply a composite of two devices rather than an entirely new product.

Erasers may be free-standing blocks (block and wedge eraser), or conical caps that can slip onto the end of a pencil (cap eraser). A barrel or click eraser is a device shaped like a pencil, but instead of being filled with pencil lead, its barrel contains a retractable cylinder of eraser material (most commonly soft vinyl). Many, but not all, wooden pencils are made with attached erasers. Novelty erasers made in shapes intended to be amusing are often made of hard vinyl, which tends to smear heavy markings when used as an eraser.

Pencil or cap erasers
Originally made from natural rubber, but now usually from cheaper SBR, this type contains mineral fillers and an abrasive such as pumice with a plasticizer such as vegetable oil. They are relatively hard (in order to remain attached to the pencil) and frequently colored pink. They can also be permanently attached to the end of a pencil with a ferrule.

Artist's gum eraser
The stylized word "Art gum" was first used in 1903 and trademarked in the United States in 1907. That type of eraser was originally made from oils such as corn oil vulcanized with sulfur dichloride although it may now be made from natural or synthetic rubber or vinyl compounds. It is very soft yet retains its shape and is not mechanically plastic, but crumbles as it is used. It is especially suited to cleaning large areas without damaging the paper. However, they are so soft as to be imprecise in use. The removed graphite is carried away in the crumbles, leaving the eraser clean, but resulting in a lot of eraser residue. This residue must then be brushed away with care, as the eraser particles are coated with the graphite and can make new marks. Art gum erasers are traditionally tan or brown, but some are blue.

Vinyl erasers

High-quality plasticized vinyl or other "plastic" erasers, originally trademarked Mylar in the mid-20th century, are softer, non-abrasive, and erase cleaner than standard rubber erasers. This is because the removed graphite does not remain on the eraser as much as rubber erasers, but is instead absorbed into the discarded vinyl scraps. Being softer and non-abrasive, they are less likely to damage canvas or paper. Engineers favor this type of eraser for work on technical drawings due to their gentleness on paper with less smearing to surrounding areas. They often come in white and can be found in a variety of shapes. More recently, very low-cost erasers are manufactured from highly plasticized vinyl compounds and made in decorative shapes.

Elastomer erasers
In these types, a thermoplastic elastomer combines a styrene resin elastomer and an olefin resin. These erasers have better erasability for erasing pencil marks compared to conventional vinyl erasers. Elastomers can be formed into thin cylindrical or other shapes to be used as extendable erasers.

Kneaded erasers
Kneaded erasers (called putty rubbers outside the United States) have a plastic consistency and are common to most artists' standard toolkit. They can be pulled into a point for erasing small areas and tight detail erasing, molded into a textured surface and used as a reverse stamp to give texture, or used in a "blotting" manner to lighten lines or shading without completely erasing them. They gradually lose their efficacy and resilience as they become infused with particles picked up from erasing and from their environment. They are not suited to erase large areas because of their tendency to deform under vigorous erasing.

Poster putty
Commonly sold in retail outlets with school supplies and home improvement products, this soft, malleable putty appears in many colors and under numerous brand names. Intended to adhere posters and prints to walls without damaging the underlying wall surface, poster putty works much the same as traditional kneaded erasers, but with a greater tack and in some circumstances, lifting strength. Poster putty does not erase so much as lighten by directly pulling particles of graphite, charcoal or pastel from a drawing. In this regard, poster putty does not smudge or damage work in the process. Repeatedly touching the putty to a drawing pulls ever more medium free, gradually lightening the work in a controlled fashion. Poster putty can be shaped into fine points or knife edges, making it ideal for detailed or small areas of work. It can be rolled across a surface to create visual textures. Poster putty loses its efficacy with use, becoming less tacky as the material grows polluted with debris and oils from the user's skin.

Electric erasers

The electric eraser was invented in 1932 by Albert J. Dremel of Racine, Wisconsin, United States. It used a replaceable cylinder of eraser material held by a chuck driven on the axis of a motor. The speed of rotation allowed less pressure to be used, which minimized paper damage. Originally standard pencil-eraser rubber was used, later replaced by higher-performance vinyl. Dremel went on to develop an entire line of hand-held rotary power tools.

Fiberglass erasers
A fiberglass eraser, a bundle of very fine glass fibers, can be used for erasing and other tasks requiring abrasion. Typically the eraser is a pen-shaped device with a replaceable insert with glass fibers, which wear down in use. The fibers are very hard; in addition to removing pencil and pen markings, such erasers are used for cleaning traces on electronic circuit boards to facilitate soldering, removing rust, and many other applications. As an example of an unusual use, a fiberglass eraser was used for preparing a Pterosaur fossil embedded in a very hard and massive limestone. Because fiberglass erasers shed fiberglass dust when used, care must be taken during and after use to avoid accidental contamination with this abrasive dust in sensitive areas of the body, especially in the eyes.

Other
Felt chalkboard erasers or blackboard dusters are used to erase chalk markings on a chalkboard. Chalk writing leaves light-colored particles weakly adhering to a dark surface (e.g., white on black, or yellow on green); it can be rubbed off with a soft material, such as a rag. Erasers for chalkboards are made, with a block of plastic or wood, much larger than an eraser for pen or pencil, with a layer of felt on one side. The block is held in the hand and the felt rubbed against the writing, which it easily wipes off. Chalk dust is released, some of which sticks to the eraser until it is cleaned, usually by hitting it against a hard surface.

Various types of eraser, depending upon the board and the type of ink used, are used to erase a whiteboard.

Dedicated erasers that are supplied with some ballpens and permanent markers are intended only to erase the ink of the writing instrument they are made for; sometimes this is done by making the ink bond more strongly to the material of an eraser than the surface it was applied to.

title: Eraser


text:
Talk:Watersport

Creating an article
I am about to create Water sport (recreation). I don't know whether there is enough to justify such an article.

If there is, i will propose that
 * Water sport (recreation) move to Water sport.
 * Watersport, and all the current redirects to it (with the exception of Watersports -- note well, single word; see below) become redirects to Water sport. Note that the current redirects to Watersport are
 * Water sport
 * Water sports
 * Watersports
 * Water sport have a "primary topic" disambiguation link to urolagnia at its top.
 * Watersports become a redirect to urolagnia.
 * Urolagnia have a primary topic" disambiguation link to Water sport at its top.

If there is not, after a reasonable period on Cleanup, i will propose
 * dispersing the content of Water sport (recreation) to its respective sports' articles, and
 * converting Water sport (recreation) into a redirect to List of water sports.

In the meantime, i am also bypassing the existing redirects to either Water sport (recreation) or Urolagnia where feasible.

--Jerzy 01:35, 2004 Feb 21 (UTC)

Primary topic
This is ridiculous. Water sport (recreation) is obviously the primary topic intended by references to "watersport." There is no good reason that 150 articles should be re-linked to a disambig page just because the term happens to have been coopted as slang for some obscure sexual fetish. --Russ (talk) 21:13, 20 November 2006 (UTC)
 * of course there should be a link at the top of the page to the fetish. (9 yrs late?) Spacecowboy420 (talk) 09:05, 28 October 2015 (UTC)

2008 discussion
First of all, it's not that obscure—a lot of people out there know the term—and as WP is not anyone's nanny it's not appropriate to keep at least a small link off the main page. Furthermore, among the people that use the term "water sports" for the sexual fetish, there is no distinction between the version with two words or one compound word, and it's confusing to make those link up differently. So I'm fixing it. Let me know if that's a problem. /blahedo (t) 06:38, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

title: Talk:Watersport