bobby charlton duncan edwards and george best would be high on my list. although duncan edwards god rest his soul never filled his full potential due to his tragic death at munich.
dont reckon best did either.
Mickey Quinn when he was at Newcastle.
Frank Worthington FTW
Bobby Moore
Captained England to world cup glory and was reckoned by pele (who could play a bit) as the best defender he ever faced. Proper gent also.
modern era i.e. players I have seen I would say giggs for his entire career and achievments
Before my time I would say John Charles or Denis Law
The greatest English born player never to play for England, my vote goes to........................
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broose grobbelaahhhhh
heard this one mulled over in the pub and notice that no one ever says beckham, i reckon giggs has to be near the top.
Gareth Edwards, JPR or the entire VietGwent.
Man's football.
😉
denis law king of the stretford end that sends shiver down my spine. i know a great story about denis which epitomises everything that is wrong in modern football today. when he went for his first trial at huddersfield he had to borrow a pair of football boots because his parents could not buy him any as they were so poor. modern football is a complete joke with very average players earning telephone number salaries. ryan giggs is my hero a true pro untainted by the modern game and no one on earth will ever beat his haul of 11 premier league titles and 606 appearances.
John Charles.
William Ralph Dean
If you want to talk records that will never be beaten:
1927-1928 season. League goals - 60. Goals in all competition - 100.
In the words of Bill Shankly: [i]The Greatest centre forward there ever will be.[/i]
in 1992 liverpool had just beaten man utd at anfield and ended uniteds title hopes. as ryan giggs left anfield a liverpool fan came up to him and asked for his autograph, giggs was only 18 at the time and he duly obliged and give the liverpool fan his autograph. the liverpool fan then ripped up the autograph and then threw it back in giggies face and said you will never win the premiership as long as you live ryan. THE REST IS JUST HISTORY!
Nobby Stiles?
Gotta be Giggs hasn't it? About the only thing he hasn't got is a World Cup Winner's (or even participant's) medal.
Best, Edwards and Gazza never fulfilled the potential for various reasons, Giggs I think has.
Isnt Kevin Keegan on record saying that Quinn was the best natural finisher and the fastest player over 10 yards he had ever seen.
However IMO the greatest was Gazza Im afraid. A genius on the field who also succeeded in other countries unlike others mentioned above.
There are some great you tube clips of him. I'm not condoning the wife beating, drugs and drinking though.
Mickey Quinn when he was at Newcastle.
+100 he was class. fat, lazy and drunk.
seriously, my choice would be Hoddle, played like a brazilian. we would of won the 86 world cup if Sir Bobby built the team around him.
trailmonkey +1
Legend for me when he played in green. What's he up to these days?
Not sure he was the greatest, but he was a "great" for sure. Predictable nominations for Giggs - but nowhere near being the "greatest".
Didnt McGrath also become an alcoholic? He was in that Tony Adams place for treatment. He was an Alcoholic whilst playing too apparently.
El Hadj Diouf, surely.
Mel Sterland ftw.
DD gigs was not great?
Most decorated british footballer of all time
What more do you want?
Just saying he's nowhere near being the greatest JY. Decorated? Yes. Long career? Yes. Great player? Yes. In a league with the "greatest"? Pah, you're joking.
Great personality though.
Legend for me when he played in green.
One of the players of the tournament at Italia 90, had Baggio in his pocket in the QF and if I'm not mistaken, made the FIFA XI for the competion. It's one thing to play at the WC/EC/CA quite another to be outstanding at one. For me, that's the true mark of a great and sadly, Giggs and Best can never reach that level, all we can do is make assumptions.
Don't forget Clough. 197 goals in 213 games at Boro, then off to Sunderland for 54 goals in 61 games. Got injured and never had a chance to show more, only two England starts.
Unfortunately for Giggs is the fact he's Welsh and never going to be able to make it big on the world stage, same affliction as Sparky, Ian Rush and Mickey Thomas. But not done too bad in European competions...
Great personality though.
cheers genuine LOL
Pele thought George Best was the greatest player in the world
Crag - Member
Mel Sterland ftw.POSTED 18 MINUTES AGO
Zico, Zico, Zico!
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Michael Caine in Escape to Victory.
He was like brave John Terry, leading our boys against the enemy.
I think the OP needs to rephrase the question. "who was the greatest Manchester United player of all time?"
For me? Peter Beardsley. Newcastle, Liverpool, Everton...didn't matter who he played for. The guy was class. Gary Lineker would've been lost without him playing for England.
(And before anyone says it, yes I am from Newcastle, and yes, I am biased).
what about jackie milburn.
Billy Liddell
justin edinburgh
Vince Hilaire.
Stanley Matthews
Simon Garner
Jimmy Johnstone, unplayable on his day.
Dalgleish was pretty good too.
Gazza i knew somebody who was in the same team as him and he always said that he didn`t even train that hard he just had a talent. Shame it all went to waste in the end.
The peerless Jimmy Johnstone.
Paul Scholes
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George Elokobi
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e2a : oops, just noticed the british bit
Ryan Giggs has to be worth a mention
It's got to be Giggs
He's been fanstastic for 20 years.... 20 years.
When the game of football is at the highest level its ever been, both technically and physically.
There's no way those old legends would even get in a prem side.
Best et all were beating 14 stone cart horses whos idea of training was "only" 2 pints the night before a game.
If George Best played as long as Ryan Giggs he would have had to play in the 1983 season... what year did he jack it in ?
😆Mel Sterland
Nice one. That's right perked me up!
No surprise to see the Man U faithful suggesting Giggs, and it's a good call, but even his record is eclipsed by The King:
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Le Tiss
Well I'm Spurs and I've said Giggs... mostly because Justin Edinburgh (as someone else mentioned), Stefan Freud (god bless him) and Jason Dozzell (shivers) dont quite make the cut.
Charles Charley Charles
When he was in full flow it was like the ball was stuck to his foot
Depends how you judge greatness - if it is on longevity at the top then Giggs has very few peers in world football never mind British football, the only recent era outfield player who could compare would probbly be Maldini.
If however it is judged on the peaks that the player hit then Giggs, despite being a great player who has had a great career, didnt quite reach the heights that others managed - IMO at no point in the 1990s or 2000s was he the best player in the world, or even top 3. There are others, who at their peak can justifiably claim to been in that top 3 - Best, Matthews and Charles being the obvious ones.
A young chap called Ryan Wilson used to be an England schoolboy international. What happened to him?
he is now known as ryan giggs.
If this is based in lengevity then surely there must be a goalkeeper in there somewhere.
Plus, goalkeepers are more interesting than Giggsy.
Julio Geordio! 😀
We could do with getting Juio Geordio back... after you purchased our best striker. 😳
Mick Channon if only for his pronunciation of "Gary Lineker" (aka the boy Line-acre!!) 😆
LOL
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Kenny Dalglish, fo sho'.
Creative lynchpin of two of the most successful club sides of the last 30 years.
Winners' medals galore, and sustained brilliance over a period of several years.
Only stain on his record during that time is an inability to lift Scotland to anything approaching respectability in their World Cup showings.
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As no keepers have been mentioned, what about Schmeichel?
Giggs was never even the best in his team never mind the country, consistent yes, but never the greatest.
My vote goes to Imre Varadi banana!
who was the greatest british footballer of all time?
As no keepers have been mentioned, what about Schmeichel?
Giggs was never even the best in his team never mind the country, consistent yes, but never the greatest.
I imagine that "greatest" means different things to different people, if you are looking at a one hit wonder, how about Beckham for the goal from the half way line?
One hit wonder or consistency?
If he was the best player in the country for even 1 full season, he might be in with a shout, but he never was.
I always wonder what's so supposed to be so great about that Beckham goal. It's all about the keeper being in an unrecoverable position, not a moment of brilliance by anyone. Most players could hit an open goal from that range.
If he was the best player in the country for even 1 full season, he might be in with a shout, but he never was.
You've lost me....
Most players could hit an open goal from that range.
Apparently not. 😉
Paul McGrath, incredibly good reader of the game, could pass the ball well and all this while steaming drunk with 2 knees that could politely be described as "shot".
Banks is about as good as we get in the goalkeep stakes, good though he was he is not a great.
MSP - Member
who was the greatest british footballer of all time?
As no keepers have been mentioned, what about Schmeichel?
D'oh. I started to write Shilton, but then had a little debate in my head and decided Schmeichel was the better keeper. That knocked the nationality criterion out of my head... Well, it is friday.
Sir Stanley Matthews IMO and I'm a Liverpool fan. He played at the very top level until he was 50 and his last competitive game at the age of 70! He did also achieve success as a player and as for longevity Mr Giggs still has some way go to match Sir Stan.
Sir Stanley Matthews IMO and I'm a Liverpool fan. He played at the very top level until he was 50 and his last competitive game at the age of 70! He did also achieve success as a player and as for longevity Mr Giggs still has some way go to match Sir Stan.
Yet on the same Wikipedia page, and not taking anything away from Sir Stanley, it says that Sir Stanley only had 792 top level appearances and 54 international appearances against Ryan Giigs at 863 and counting and 64 international. Having a game with Stan's Men, while being competitive, is not quite the same as having a Saturday afternoon knock around for Man Utd against Chelsea!! As you said, you're a Liverpool fan. 😉
But being the 4th or 5th best player in the country is not good enough the be the best ever.
If someone came third, 4th or 5th in the TdF for 10 years in a row, they may get an honourable mention in the history books, but they would never be up for the greatest rider.
I just wish gazza had signed for man u as he was about to before Venables tapped him up, under SAF watchful eye, he might have steered him away from the drink and pies.
Gazza is the most gifted footballer I've seen play. That season for spurs before he did his knee was unreal. He did well at Lazio when he was fit (very rare that he was though) and was brilliant in Euro 96, shame Glen Hoddle didn't take a punt on him for the 98 world cup.
But that's Gazza in a nutshell, all if only......
LOLcarpetz at people still suggesting Giggs. As someone rightly pointed out, he's never even been the best player in his team. We're talking "greatness", not "consistency" nor "longevity".
Most players could hit an open goal from that range.
Well technically yes, thye could. But the keeper is in that position quite a lot of the time when the balls in the opponents half. having the vision to see it and act on it in a second is something most players could definitely not do.
double post
Kenny Dalgleish
Nat Lofthouse