Team GB captain hails “massive honor”

Giggs grateful to wear armband in Olympics

By Zain Alvi | 9th July 2012

Manchester United veteran Ryan Giggs has expressed his delight at leading Team GB into the London Olympics later this month, referring to his captaincy as a huge honor.

Giggs, 38, is renowned for his role as an on-field leader on a club level but the Welshman finally gets the opportunity to wear the armband on the international stage after seeing Wales fall short of qualification for major tournaments in recent years.

His selection over former United great David Beckham was somewhat controversial but his appointment as the captain of Stuart Pearce’s squad has been well-received.

The midfielder has returned the favor by discussing his gratefulness regarding the skipper’s role.

“It’s a massive honor to be involved in the Olympics and, as a 38-year-old, you don’t expect to be involved in a tournament like this on home turf,” Giggs stated.

He added: “It ranks very high in my career and obviously the honour of captaining the squad as well is massive. I hope I can pass on the experience I’ve gained over the years as well as the winning mentality.

“I’m open to any of the players coming up and having a chat if they want, but it’s not just about me. Micah won the Premiership last year at Manchester City and Craig’s won things and been at so many good clubs during his career.

“The experienced players can really help the young players. I never got to a major tournament with Wales and that will always remain as a massive disappointment in my career.

“I’ve not played in tournament football and I’m thankful of getting the chance. I’m really looking forward to it and can’t wait for it to start”

The concept of a fully integrated Great Britain team is still not fully familiar for many football fans and while Giggs realizes that the idea remains impractical for other tournaments, he is looking forward to the incredible opportunity that awaits him.

“This is something that I never thought would happen, but as soon as I got the chance to put my name forward for the Great Britain team I jumped at it and really wanted to be part of it,” he concluded.