GIGGS IN BORING INTERVIEW SHOCK

Last updated : 24 September 2004 By editor

Derby Debut


"The main memory I have of that day is when the manager read out the team about an hour and a half before kick-off and said my name! I always try and listen at the gaffer’s team-talks but I wasn’t too sure what he’d said at that point! I thought I’d have been one of the subs, so from then on I was pretty nervous up until kick-off."

Own Goal Or A Giggs Goal?


"I think it was an own goal and if it had happened in this day and age, I think it would be down as an o.g. But the record books say it’s my goal, so I’ll take it!"

Post-Match Celebrations


"I think I just went home after the game and celebrated with my family. It was my first league start and I was just glad to be part of the team. I’d been at City as a young lad so it was obviously great to play in a derby and also get the disputed winning goal!"

That Jacket And Tie!


"What was I thinking?! We knew we’d won the league before the game so Paul Ince and I agreed to wear the loudest jackets and ties possible. Looking back, I don’t know if I’d have worn that jacket if we’d have had to win the game, but Incey was still trying to hold on to his youth so he used to hang around with me and that’s what we decided to do! I took a little bit of stick, particularly off the gaffer, but most of the lads saw the funny side of it!"

Crowned As Champions


"The result didn’t seem to matter because we were already champions, but when you get out on the pitch you want to win no matter what. A few of the other lads had sore heads from Steve Bruce's party the night before (!), but Blackburn’s goal gave us a bit of a wake-up call. My free-kick was probably the best I’ve ever scored and thankfully it got us back into the game because we knew we couldn’t lose. Overall, it was a great occasion and along with the Champions League final, it was probably the greatest moment of my life."

Landmark Euro Victory


"This was definitely a significant result for us because Juventus had consistently been the best team in the Champions League over the previous two or three-year period. We’d played them a couple of times before that game and they’d beaten us home and away. I remember having a stinker in Turin the season before and the manager brought me off at half-time. So I was determined to do well in this game.

"It was a bit of a shock in the first minute when they went ahead and it seemed like ‘here we go again, can we actually beat the likes of Juventus?’ But the crowd got behind us and made it a great occasion, and the result showed us that we could play against the best teams in Europe and beat them as well."

Strike For Glory


"I think it was probably one of my best European performances for United and the goal was just instinctive. I beat a couple of their men and before I knew it I was in the box and at that stage I was only thinking of one thing – shooting! Fortunately for me it went in and in the end it was an important goal because Zidane brought the score back to 3-2 in injury time."

Night Of Mixed Emotions


"That night was full of mixed emotions for me to be honest. I was obviously very proud to have scored the goal, but shortly afterwards I picked up an Achilles injury and I ended up leaving the ground on crutches. I knew I’d miss the following league game against Sheffield Wednesday and more importantly the away match with Juventus the following Wednesday, so it was a bit disappointing at that point and I couldn’t really get excited about anything."

That Goal...And The Celebration!


"I didn’t know the goal was anything like it was; I thought I’d picked it up about thirty yards out, beat one, maybe two men and scored. I didn’t actually realise that I’d got it on the halfway line and beat three or four players until I got home and watched it on television! I do cringe a little bit when I see the celebration but sometimes when you score you just don’t know what you’re doing - and that was one of those occasions! The funny thing was the fans that ran onto the pitch were a few of my mates! It was weird seeing fans coming towards you and getting kissed on the cheek by your mate!"

A True Epic


"The game mirrored the season really; it was just a rollercoaster. First of all we went a goal ahead, then Bergkamp equalised with a deflected shot, before Keaney got sent off and Peter saved the penalty; the game just had a mixture of everything. I was very proud of my goal and beating a team like Arsenal, and I think that game gave us the belief to go on and beat Juventus and eventually do the Treble."

An Unforgettable Night


"I can remember the game quite clearly but the last five minutes are definitely a blur. After scoring the first goal so late, I think we all thought, right, we can go and beat these in extra time. But then a minute later we get a corner and score again. Looking back it's a good job my right foot isn't the best otherwise I would never have been able to put that great pass through to Teddy for the equaliser!

"I watch the game now and again but I think I’ll watch it a lot more when I’ve finished playing. Actually, it was only up until a couple of months ago that I saw another camera angle and saw myself in amongst everyone celebrating the second goal, because I honestly didn’t know where I was before that!"

Emotional Celebration


"The moment at the final whistle was weird. As a youngster I used to watch players cry after winning the FA Cup and I could never understand it. But as soon as the referee blew the final whistle in the Nou Camp I just went; there was nothing I could do about it. I fell to my knees because I couldn’t believe we’d actually done it. There was a real feeling of what do I do because your emotions went from disappointment to jubilation like you’d never felt before."

Ten-Year Celebration


"The whole year was full of dinners, golf days and other things, but the game was the pinnacle for me. Celtic brought a lot of fans down with them and it was a tasty game with a fair few tackles flying in! It was a great night but very weird at the same time because everything is all about you! I’d been part of testimonial nights before but never at that point did I think it would be happening to me. But thanks to all of my family, my friends and my team-mates, it was a really great occasion."

The Speech!


"Football’s a cruel game with a lot of mickey-taking and I’m one of the main culprits most of the time! But when it’s all on your toes you find yourself under pressure and I felt that during my speech, especially as all the lads were chipping away in the background! But it was good that I was able to thank the crowd for being part of such a special night.