Fergie hails evergreen Giggs as model pro

Sir Alex Ferguson has paid tribute to the professionalism that has enabled Ryan Giggs to produce some of the best football of his career at the age of 35.

The Welsh winger has been Manchester United’s outstanding performer this season with match-winning performances against both Tottenham and Manchester City in recent weeks.

Against City, Giggs created three of United’s goals, including the stoppage time winner that Michael Owen converted to seal a 4-3 win, while his stunning free-kick against Spurs — his 99th Premier League goal for United — means he has scored in every season since the league was launched in 1992.

With nothing left to achieve in the domestic game, Giggs could be excused for taking things easy, yet his hunger and desire are as great as ever and Ferguson recognises that he will be a hard player to replace when he does finally call it a day.

“The horrible part of being a footballer is that at some stage you are finished with the game – it catches us all,” Ferguson said.

“When someone like Ryan is playing at the level he is at, he realises to stay there, he has to prepare himself in the right way.

“He has to look after himself and do the right things.”

Ferguson added: “It is not a matter of him defying his age. It is more a case that there is no discernable deterioration in his game at all. It is remarkable.

“I don’t know what else there is to say about him! His form is just the same as it was last season.

“He has never carried any weight. He has always been a slim athlete. That helps too. Physique has a lot to do with it.”

Ferguson, meanwhile, has blasted the media for trying to inflame his relationship with Manchester City manager Mark Hughes in the wake of last weekend’s controversial derby at Old Trafford.

Ferguson has been desperate to put last week’s events behind him as the fall-out from United’s stunning 4-3 win continues.

Now he has leapt to the defence of Hughes and insisted the media tried to lure him into saying something he didn’t want to.

“As normal you built it up to such a state,” he said. “I watched the press conference Mark Hughes was in and I think he did fantastic because some of your questions were a disgrace.

“That?s all I can say. You tried to lead him into all sorts of controversy and I think the boy did well. I think Mark Hughes did very well in that press conference last week and I think you’ve had enough.

“We move on now, we’ve got games right until the end of the season. You can start all your stuff again when we play them (City) next time, but at the moment I think it?s best left alone. I watched the press conference and you tried to lead him into controversy all the time.”