In 2009, footballer Ryan Giggs was a shock winner of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, beating racing driver Jensen Button, who was odds-on favourite with the bookmakers, into second place and heptathlete Jessica Ennis into third in the public vote. Giggs became just the fifth footballer, after Bobby Moore (1966), Paul Gascoigne (1990), Michael Owen (1998) and David Beckham (2001).
Giggs, 36, appeared genuinely sheepish as he accepted the trophy from the 2008 winner, Sir Chris Hoy. “That is a shock,” he began, before saying, “I’ve been lucky enough to win a lot of things in my career, playing with great players, under the greatest manager that’s ever lived, playing for the greatest club, but this is up there.”
In his eighteenth season as a professional, Giggs had been voted Player of the Year by the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) the previous April. That same month he reached the landmark of 800 appearances for Manchester United, his only professional club, and in September a deflected free-kick against Wolfsburg at Old Trafford in the Chanpions League brought up 150 goals for the Red Devils. In so doing, he became just the ninth United player to achieve the feat. The winger-turned-midfielder was also instrumental in helping Manchester United to reach the final of the Champions League, for the second year running, albeit that they eventually lost 2-0 to Barcelona at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
Neverthless, with a total off 11 league titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups and two European Cups to his name and in the twilight of his career, few could argue that Giggs was a worthy winner. Even runner-up Button, while clearly disappointed, was magnanimous in defeat. He said, “I came here to, hopefully, win. I didn’t but the person that beat me I respect very much, so well done to him.” On New Year’s Eve, Giggs was, in fact, named Manchester United Player of the Decade. He eventually retired from playing in May 2014, aged 40, as the most decorated player in English football with a club record 963 appearances for Manchester United to his name.