Are United veterenas close to hanging up their boots?

Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes are the part of the Golden generation of Manchester United but they are also still part of Alex Ferguson’s squad. These players are all in the late stages of their careers and considering that their contracts at the club are coming to an end, some of them could hang up their boots at the end of this season.

The most capped player in United’s history, Ryan Giggs was the first to hint that he could finish his career at the end of this season. His contract is set to end in May and considering that there are no offers on the table, the Welshman could retire when his contract ends. Giggs is the most decorated player in club’s history, having won 10 Premier League titles, and two Champions League crowns among other trophies. He even broke Bobby Charlton’s 758-game record by coming as a substitute in last year’s Champions League final, where he scored the winning penalty. Giggs has spent his entire career at United and has certainly been a great role model for younger players. He also managed to adapt his game in his later years so that he could keep his place in the team, and the winger has been very much in Ferguson’s plans over the last few years. Still, at 35 years of age he is very much past his prime and maybe it would be wise of him to hang up his boots at the end of this season.

Gary Neville is another one club man, who is set to see out his career in Manchester United. He is England’s most capped right back and a long serving player in Ferguson’s team. His career was on the constant uptrend until two years ago when he started having problems with injuries that significantly curbed his playing time. Before he got injured, he was one of the most consistent performers for both club and the country and I am sure that he would have still been irreplaceable in Capello’s England squad. However, the fact that he missed the whole last season severely influenced him this term and he has been producing some under par performances. Neville lost the place in the starting line-up, but Sir Alex is likely to offer him extension to his current contract that expires at the end of the season. Still, I don’t expect that he will get enough playing time in the future and he could hang up his boots at the end of next season.

I have intentionally left Paul Scholes for the end of this article, as influential midfielder is still key part of Alex Ferguson’s team. His contract ends in 2010 and considering Scholes’ current performances it is likely to be extended. The fantastic midfielder has been integral part of Sir Alex’s squad since the start of his career and things haven’t changed much lately. He had plenty of injury problems in the last two seasons but he would always return stronger and fitter, and he was probably the key player in Manchester’s last two league titles. Scholes retired from international football in 2004 after being played out of position by Swen-Goran Eriksson and that is the main reason for England’s poor results last few years. His perfect timing and eye for the pass would help the national team a great deal but he stood by his decision even when asked to come out of the retirement by McClaren and Capello. Scholes has always been a real role model and he always kept his private life to himself, which is why you couldn’t see him appearing in newspapers or tabloids. Even though he plans to retire when his contract ends in 2010, Alex Ferguson could convince him to prolong his decision.

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