Giggs’s retirement from international football and the relocation of Football Association and Football League Finals back to Wembley, means last Saturday’s Euro 2008 Qualifier against the Czech Republic is likely to be his final outing on the hallowed turf of the Millennium Stadium.
Giggs took plenty of happy memories to his farewell party and says the City of Cardiff has profited from the last seven years of top flight FA and Football League matches.
“It’s not often you get a Stadium slap bang in the middle of the city and I think it did Cardiff the world of good,” said Giggs. “The atmosphere going to games and after games has been brilliant and that will be missed.”
Lifting the FA Cup in his home town is something he will cherish from a glittering career with Manchester United that saw him raise the FA Cup, the Carling Cup and the FA Community Shield at the Millennium Stadium.
He cites winning the FA Cup for the first time at the Millennium Stadium against Millwall in 2004 as his favourite Millennium Stadium moment: “I’d always hoped to lift the FA Cup in my hometown, I managed to do that and I’m really proud, it’s one thing I will cherish in my career.”
Giggs, 33, announced his retirement from international football last Wednesday, calling time on a sixteen year spell during which he earned 64 caps.
He made his Wales debut against Germany in October 1991 at 17 years and 321 days old, at the time the youngest-ever Wales international. In March 2000 he set another record becoming the first Wales goal-scorer at the Millennium Stadium, his goal against Finland putting his name in the history books.
However, it is for his club, rather than his country that the Millennium Stadium holds the strongest memories. Giggs has won 23 trophies and played over 700 games for Manchester United to date, and at the Millennium Stadium he has savoured being both winner and loser in football’s greatest showpiece matches.
“It’s not often you get to play in a Stadium right in the heart of a city,” he continued. “In every Cup Final that has been played in Cardiff, there has been a great atmosphere around the ground and the City. I’m lucky that I have played in major Cup Finals there.”
Giggs has made 28 appearances in total at the Millennium Stadium, 7 of those for Manchester United with a further 21 for his country (eight of those as Captain and one as a second half subsitute). He has won three trophies at the venue for his club, won and lost a penalty shoot out for his club and scored five times for Wales.
Ryan Giggs at the Millennium Stadium
Manchester United
2001 FA Community Shield v Liverpool (Lost 2-1)
2003 Worthington Cup Final v Liverpool (Lost 2-0)
2003 FA Community Shield v Arsenal (Won 2-1 – Manchester United win 4-3 on penalties)
2004 FA Cup Final v Millwall (Won 3-0)
2004 FA Community Shield v Arsenal (Lost 3-1)
2005 FA Cup Final v Arsenal (Lost 1-0 – Arsenal win 5-4 on penalties)
2006 Carling Cup Final v Wigan Athletic (Won 4-0)
Wales
March 2000 v Finland – Friendly (Lost 2-1) Scored 1
October 2000 v Norway – 2002 FIFA World Cup Qualifier ( Drew 1-1)
March 2001 v Ukraine – 2002 FIFA World Cup Qualifier (Drew 1-1)
June 2001 v Poland – 2002 FIFA World Cup Qualifier (Lost 2-1)
September 2001 v Armenia – 2002 FIFA World Cup Qualifier (Drew 0-0)
February 2002 v Argentina – Friendly (Drew 1-1)
May 2002 v Germany – Friendly (Won 1-0)
October 2002 v Italy – Euro 2004 Qualifier (Won 2-1)
March 2003 v Azerbaijan – Euro 2004 Qualifier (Won 4-0) Scored 1
September 2003 v Finland – Euro 2004 Qualifier (Drew 1-1)
October 2003 v Serbia & Montenegro – Euro 2004 Qualifier (Lost 3-2)
November 2003 v Russia – Euro 2004 Qualification Play-Off Second Leg (Lost 1-0)
February 2004 v Scotland – Friendly (Won 4-0)
March 2005 v Austria* – 2006 FIFA World Cup Qualifier (Lost 2-0)
September 2005 v England* – 2006 FIFA World Cup Qualifier (Lost 1-0)
October 2005 v Azerbaijan* – 2006 FIFA World Cup Qualifier (Won 2-0) Scored 2
March 2006 v Paraguay* – Friendly (Drew 0-0)
October 2006 v Slovakia* – Euro 2008 Qualifier (Lost 5-1)
October 2006 v Cyprus* – Euro 2008 Qualifier (Won 3-1)
March 2007 v San Marino* – Euro 2008 Qualifier (Won 3-0) Scored 1
June 2007 v Czech Republic* – Euro 2008 Qualifier (Drew 0-0)
* indicates matches as Wales Captain)
