THE
STORY OF
MAn UTDRYAn GIGGS
BIRTH DATE: 29 NOVEMBER 1973
DEBUT: 2 MARCH 1991 (VS EVERTON)
Strictly speaking, Ryan Giggs wasn’t part of the Class
of ’92; he had made his first-team debut in March
1991, and his first start a couple of months later.
That came against rivals Manchester City on 4 May,
and Giggs got the only goal of the game. In reality,
his shot took a huge deflection off City’s Scottish
defender Colin Hendry, but as Giggs said, at 17 he
wasn’t going to argue with being credited with the
winner in the Manchester derby. He’s been a firm
favourite with United fans ever since. Ryan Wilson, as
he was then known (his dad, Danny, was a
successful rugby player in the 1970s and 1980s but
Giggs reverted to his mother’s maiden name when
he was 16 as his mother remarried), was first spotted
by Dennis Schofield, a milkman and part-time scout
who was watching a group of eight year olds play
football at Grosvenor Road Primary School in
Swinton. “I’ve been a coach and part-time scout for
over half a century,” said Schofield, “and he was the
best prospect I’d ever seen.” Schofield was actually a
City fan, but Ferguson was alerted and a few years
later he, together with Chief Scout Joe Brown,
personally went round to Giggs’ house to sign the 14
year old.
PAUL SCHOLES
BIRTH DATE: 16 NOVEMBER 1974
DEBUT: 21 SEPTEMBER 1994 (VS PORT VALE)Paul Scholes signed professional forms in the
summer of 1993 but did not break through into the
senior ranks until a season later, making his debut in
a League Cup match against Port Vale on 21
September 1994. This was the match that produced
a plethora of complaints – from Vale, their manager,
fans, local press and even an MP – due to Ferguson’s
decision to field such a youthful side. Hindsight is
always 20-20 of course, but in fact the Vale fans
present that evening saw a team featuring a number
of United players who were destined to become
household names. They also, lest it be forgotten, won
2-1. The 19-year-old Scholes – wearing a number 10
shirt that looked like it could comfortably
accommodate two of him – scored the first by
intercepting in midfield, taking the ball on a couple of
strides, then hitting a fierce, swerving shot. He then
headed home the winner in the second half. A local
boy brought up on the large Langley estate, he
played in a Boundary Park Juniors team that included
the Neville brothers and Nicky Butt. He didn’t play in
the 1992 Youth Cup side as there were still a few
concerns over his size at that time, though he did
play the following year when United lost in the final.n ICKY BUTT
BIRTH DATE: 21 JANUARY 1975
DEBUT: 21 NOVEMBER 1992 (VS OLDHAM ATHLETIC)Nicky Butt was always less high profile than some of
his fellow Fledglings, but he became an essential
part of the central midfield alongside Roy Keane.
Having scored two of the goals in the 3-1 first-leg
victory in the Youth Cup Final, Butt made his senior
debut on 21 November 1992 when he came on as a
substitute in a 3-0 win over Oldham Athletic; the
following season he made just two appearances as a
substitute; one in the league and one in the FA Cup
semi-final, again against Oldham. That game ended
in a draw and Butt did not play in either the replay or
the final victory over Chelsea. By the beginning of the
1994–95 season, though, he had broken through,
and he made 22 starts and 13 further appearances
as a sub across all competitions. He also scored his
first goal for the club in a 2-2 draw at Southampton.
In addition to his 270 appearances for United, Butt
played for England at U18, U19, U21 and full levels,
playing 39 times for the senior England team. Butt
admitted that he hated Gary Neville when he first
played against him (for Manchester boys against Bury
boys) because Gary never shut up, but once they
started training together they just clicked and
became great friends.“I REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME I SAW
HIM. HE WAS 13 An D HE FLOATED
ACROSS THE GROUn D LIKE A COCKER
SPAn IEL CHASING A PIECE OF
SILVER PAPER In THE WIn D.”
“I THIn K PAUL SCHOLES IS THE
BEST PLAYER In E n GLAn D. HE’S
GOT THE BEST SKILLS, THE BEST
BRAIn. n O On E CAn MATCH HIM.
PAUL IS IRREPLACEABLE.”
“ nICKY WAS THE FIRST TO BREAK
I nTO THE SQUAD FROM THAT YOUTH
SQUAD. I Kn OW WHAT A SERVAn T
HE HAS BEEn TO ME An D THE CLUB,
HE HAS BEEn FAn TASTIC.”
44 The Story of Man Utd FourFourTwo.com